Am Agus Cinniúint
by WhimsyWren
Summary: During the summer after Fourth Year, Harry is attacked. Though he comes out of it alive, how will the results change the course of history? Story is much better than summary, so check it out! THIS IS NOT... I REPEAT, NOT A SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

**Edit: I'll leave the announcements the way they are for the most part, but I wanted all of you to know that I have done some extremely extensive changes to the existing chapters. If you are one of my previous readers, you will definitely want to go back over the chapters and re-read them. Some chapters have few changes while others have major overhauling. Please tell me what you think! I was not happy with how it had turned out the first time and I had some new inspiration. Hopefully this time there will be better flow.**

**..**

**A plot bunny that would not be ignored… I enjoy these stories very much, but sometimes they all seem wrong to me. So, here is my version of it. Don't worry, you'll understand why soon enough! Oh, and as a side note: everything is the same up to the end of book four. Everything else is taking a much different course. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but original characters. Oh, and I apologize if any of the Gaelic is wrong. I do not actually speak the language, so I have been using a translator. The translations for the speech in Gaelic will be towards the bottom.**

**Chapter One**

"_You killed me, Harry… how could you? If you hadn't insisted that we both grab the Cup, I wouldn't be dead. It's your fault that my parents had to bury their only son. It's your fault… all your fault, Harry…"_

The words repeated over and over in his head until he finally woke up, his lip bloodied in his body's subconscious effort not to scream out. He knew what might happen if he let himself scream. Tears were in his eyes as well and the fourteen, nearly fifteen year old boy immediately curled up and let out several sobs. His body was shaking as he tried to forget the images that were replaying over and over in his head with the accusations that were being thrown at him. These weren't normal nightmares for a young teen boy. No youth should have to witness a murder in front of his eyes. But it wasn't just that… they didn't even give him any counseling. Any sane person would make sure that he was still alright after something so traumatizing, right? But no… he was locked up back at his relatives. Not even his friends had messaged him! The only bright side was that recently he had gotten a letter saying that he would be picked up sometime in the near future. Of course, that was all that he knew, that they deigned to tell him… and somehow, he felt that there was something very wrong. But then again this was the life of Harry Potter so why should he be any surprised at all?

Setting those thoughts aside for the moment, though, Harry climbed out of bed and made his way over to his trunk. He hadn't really unpacked for the summer, mostly living out of said trunk. Perhaps it had been some foolish hope that he wouldn't have to stay long. He was actually to soon leave supposedly, but it didn't make up for how long he had spent in the place. One day was an eternity and he had spent what felt like forever… but at least the Dursleys were giving him some space that summer. Not that it really helped, of course. This way he was left to his thoughts… and oh, how dark they were. Voldemort was back, but he knew nothing about what was going on. Screw the idea that this was supposedly the safest place for him right now. He didn't like being left in the dark!

As he was musing over these thoughts, a heavy feeling suddenly came over the place like energy crackling in the air. Feeling uneasy, Harry made his way over to his window and carefully looked out from where he was hidden by the curtain. What he saw made his stomach drop. Deatheaters… he could recognize them even at this distance. How did they find out where he lived? A spy maybe? Either way, he had to find a way to get out. He scrambled over to his desk, writing a quick note. He then attached it to Hedwig's leg. "Quickly! Don't let you be seen," he pleaded with his owl before releasing her carefully out the window, trying not to be noticed.

Looking down at the gathered group then, he bit his lip and grabbed his wand. His only relief was that they couldn't get in. There were the blood wards. He thought he remembered Dumbledore mentioning something like that. If anyone meant him harm, they couldn't enter, right? But then his eyes suddenly widened as a thought came to his racing mind. But… Voldemort had used his blood in that ritual hadn't he? The bastard had mentioned something about protection… wouldn't that void to Voldemort the wards around the house? He hadn't seen the man yet, but that didn't mean that he wasn't there or would appear soon. Why had Dumbledore not thought of this? Harry thought this frantically.

Then, as if on cue, Harry's scar flared and a tall man stepped forward. Removing his hood, it was revealed to be Voldemort just as Harry had known it to be. Not even stopping to think, Harry ran away from the window and made his way into the hallway. As he turned away from the window, he missed the spell that Voldemort shot towards the suddenly visible wards. Inside, ignoring the no magic rule completely, Harry locked the bedroom doors with a few spells so his relatives wouldn't be able to get out. He didn't want them getting in the way, no matter how much he hated them. He had seen enough death… Running downstairs, he tried looking out the windows hoping to see an opening somewhere. But every way was blocked…. The house was completely surrounded.

"Come out, come out, wee little Potter!" A hissing voice called out, full of malicious amusement. The very sound of it made a shiver go down Harry's back. Tightening his hand around his wand, he looked around frantically. What could he do? Going out there would be suicide… Would anyone come? He had used a spell… maybe the Ministry would come? But just as he thought that, there was high pitched laughter. "Little Potter knows we are here! He even used a spell! Just what is the Boy-who-Lived-only-to-die planning? Naughty, naughty! The Ministry isn't so happy! They want to give little Potter a trial! Too bad he'll be there in pieces!" Well, that certainly answered his question, Harry thought wildly as he tried to block out the roaring laughter from the death eaters. But the Ministry wouldn't come. Of course they wouldn't when they could instead send useless mail!

Harry knew Voldemort was taunting him, but he didn't know what to do and it had him panicking. He had to do something – anything! He had to get out of this alive somehow! Frowning then, Harry quickly summoned his Firebolt. Maybe he could fly out… if he burst out the door – exploding it for a weak attempt at distraction – then maybe he had a chance. He didn't know what sort of chance, but it was better than just waiting around for the death eaters to come get him. He certainly was one of the best flyers at Hogwarts and he had dodged dragon fire during the Tournament, so maybe he could avoid spellfire as well. He could only hope that maybe he had even a small semblance of a chance. And right now… it was certainly his only chance. It was better than the alternative before who knew what sort of things Voldemort would do to him once he got his hands on him. Harry shivered at the thought and quickly banished it. He was a Gryffindor anyhow, right? They were known for their idiotic bravery. But this wasn't bravery… this was desperation to save his own hide no matter how reckless he was. But then, he wasn't known for being intelligent, was he? Doing things as he flew by the seat of his pants…

Steeling himself this reckless notion he was attempting, Harry grimly mounted his broom and took a deep breath. He could do this… Raising his wand, he clenched his jaw for a moment before slicing out a quick spell. _"Diffindo!" _The spell exploded toward, taking the door with it and raining a mixture of wood, plaster, and decorative brick outwards. Not even bothering to wait, Harry flew out through the debris and then shot straight up. On the ground, the Deatheaters were stunned before they quickly regained their bearings and started shooting spells towards Harry's vicinity. Most of them missed through sheer luck and Harry's panicked swerving.

But as he had not seen what Voldemort had done to the wards, Harry suddenly impacted against them. He was immediately stopped and suspended in the air, pain flaring out through his entire body. It was like electricity or hell fire he decided faintly with the small portion of his mind not overwhelmed by the pain. Harry could not hold back his tortured screams from the reaction of the wards and, as he writhed, a crimson spell flew true and slammed against his back. But what happened next, no one could have predicted.

Harry's body started to glow with the crimson colour of the spell, the magic of it twisting and warping the magic of the corrupted blood wards. Blood magic was fickle, classified as dark in nature. With an even darker spell twisted with the decaying blood magic, it warped into something wholly different. The death eaters could only watch as the air around Harry started to warp and twist visually, a strange hissing sound filling the air. None below dared to move; although when the wards suddenly exploded many shields were thrown up. Many deatheaters also apparated away.

When the light cleared, Harry Potter was nowhere to be seen.

((Page Break))

Pain… all he could feel was the pain. Groaning softly, he shifted and tried to sink back into the blessed darkness. He didn't know how long he had been out, but all he knew was that he wanted to go back. It didn't hurt there. But he slowly felt himself waking up, so there was nothing to do about it. Opening his eyes slowly then, he first tried to figure out where he was. He didn't recognize the place at all… feeling a raising panic; he slowly tried to climb out of bed. But before his feet could touch the dirt floor of the little hut he was in, a voice interrupted him. "Ní ba mhaith liom é sin a dhéanamh dá mba mé tú."

It was the voice of a young boy, maybe around the same age as him. Looking over quickly, he noticed that the stranger had bright red hair and amused light green eyes. He did look about the same age as him so his initial guess of his voice had likely been correct… Although, he was perhaps a little taller and he did have the beginnings of lean muscle. But all that he only gave a passing glance at. What took over his attention was the language that the boy spoke. He didn't understand a word of it…

"Bhí tú ag chodladh le tamall maith. Níor chóir duit a bheith ag dul suas." The boy was smiling as he closed the door behind him and then set down some firewood into a box near a small fireplace. "Cad a tharla duit? Fuair mé tú i réimse, an talamh go léir a luaith thart timpeall ort."

Swallowing, he climbed back into bed. "I… I cannot understand you." He finally stuttered out, making the other boy look at him in surprise.

"Cad é? Ní dóigh liom go dtuigeann tú." The boy looked puzzled, obviously having the same problem that he was. "Ní féidir leat labhairt mo theanga? An bhfuil tú nach ó thart anseo, ansin?" He then suddenly rolled his eyes and lightly smacked his forehead. "Ah, nach raibh an rud cliste a iarraidh. Ar ndóigh, ní labhraíonn tú mo theanga. Níl sé deacair a chailleann." The boy looked irritated for a moment, crossing his arms. Finally, he looked back over. "An féidir leat insint dom d'ainm?" He then stopped and huffed softly. "Ar ndóigh, nach bhfuil. Cad Tá mé ag smaoineamh?" The boy then pointed towards himself. "Godric Gryffindor. Is é mo ainm Godric Gryffindor." He then looked at the other boy, obviously waiting for a response.

The boy on the bed looked a little panicked before he bit his lip slightly, thinking. The other boy had rattled off so many things… but at the end, he was obviously trying to tell him something about himself. His name perhaps? Feeling unsure, he pointed towards the other. "Godric… Gryffindor?" He repeated that part slowly. In reward, he received a bright smile and a nod.

The red haired boy pointed to himself again. "Godric." He then paused and pointed towards that other. "Cé go bhfuil tú?"

Thinking he knew what the other talking about, he pointed towards himself and frowned. He then suddenly looked briefly panicked. What was his name? He couldn't remember his name! Biting his lower lip then, he ignored the confused and worried look that was thrown at him. He had to think of his name… what was his name? He couldn't remember anything! But as his panic started to grow, a brief memory flashed through his mind and halted his fretting. It was gone too quickly for him to really analyze, but a name popped up attached to the fleeting memory. He was there with one – two? – others and they were talking about something. He couldn't remember what… but that name popped up. Perhaps it was his? Still feeling uncertain, he pointed towards himself again. "Salazar… Salazar Slytherin." He received another bright smile in return.

((Page Break))

"Tá a fhios agat, an ní a fhios agam an staid teanga céanna go bhfuil muid in áit bhfaigheann ... d'aois." The annoyed tone to the boy's voice made Salazar roll his eyes. He thought he knew the gist of what the other was talking about, but it was rather annoying to not be able to communicate. He was going to have to learn the other language. Which, might take awhile… but he understood a few things after the few days he had been spending with the other boy. Godric always seemed to ramble on about things and Salazar could never make heads or tails of it all. Sometimes he wondered if Godric either liked to hear himself talk, or if he was hoping that Salazar would just one day suddenly figure out how to speak the language. It certainly hadn't worked so far and he was at his wit's end. Gods knew that Godric certainly was.

But speaking of the other boy… he didn't know much about Godric. All he knew was that the boy lived here in this little hut in an abandoned, rather half burnt, village near the sea. At least, that was the rather obvious fact that he had managed to figure out. All this based upon the fact that Godric had made himself a cozy little living space in a village that was devoid of all other people. Most of it looked to have been burned down and part of him wondered what had happened to the people. Slaughtered? But then, where were the bodies? Perhaps the survivors buried their dead and then moved on? And he didn't know why Godric was here on his own, or if he had been a survivor of whatever had happened here, but he certainly had no way to ask anyways. Godric didn't seem to mind, he thought, but since he didn't know anything about his past, he also didn't know how he had come to be in this place or if he had any family in the world. But for now, he could stick with the other boy. He did enjoy his company. But first there was the language barrier they had to overcome… Sighing, he picked up an apple and gave Godric a look. He was tired of the ranting from Godric that he couldn't understand. Really, why hadn't the boy thought of this earlier instead of just obviously complaining about it?

Giving Godric a stern look, Salazar pointed at the apple that he was holding in his hand. Once he had Godric's attention, he raised an eyebrow and gestured again. He was expecting to get a name for it, if the silly boy actually understood what he was trying to get at. Of course, all he got in response was a blank look from the redheaded boy. Sighing, Salazar rolled his eyes. "Cad é?" He had probably butchered the pronunciation, but it was one of the few words that he knew, given how many times it had come up in their rather one sided conversations.

At the word from Salazar though, Godric suddenly seemed to brighten up and understand. "Ba mhaith leat dom a mhúineadh agat!" He grinned, looking fully proud of himself. It made Salazar sigh, but a fond smile teased the edge of his lips. No matter how hard it was for the two of them to communicate, he found himself enjoying the other boy's presence. He was just too adorable to ignore. But that wasn't something to ponder over now while he was finally getting his language lessons. He wasn't sure what Godric had said, but the boy seemed to understand finally so they could get this under way. Proving this right, Godric grabbed the apple and pointed at it with a flourish. "Úll." In response, Salazar rolled his eyes but carefully repeated the word. Godric nodded approvingly and the lessons took off. Salazar forced Godric to give him the names of various things, pointing to one thing after another. He would go over them again and again until Godric would indicate that he had gotten them right. Godric got bored of the process quickly, but could not say no to Salazar who seemed to hunger for the knowledge to learn more.

((Page Break))

In the end, Salazar was very thankful that he was such a quick study. He still didn't have any memories of before he had woken up in Godric's hut, but he could remember other things. An instinctive thing, he was sure. He knew how to be a person, but everything that made him who he was… was gone. Who was to say that he was like he had been before? He really did not dwell on it because maybe now he had a chance of being a better person. At least one advantage of not having any memories, and being stuck in a place where no one spoke his original language, helped him learn how to speak Godric's tongue. Of course, he was still learning and Godric took great enjoyment in correcting him, but he could actually have a decent conversation with the other boy. Said boy who he still didn't know his past… Salazar had the feeling that Godric was hiding something from him. But for now, he said nothing. Why should he change what they had now? It worked for both of them. So instead of trying to ask about Godric's own mysterious past, he had gotten the other boy to start teaching him about the land they lived in. He wanted to know everything… his lack of memories opened up a thirst for learning and knowledge, another positive side effect in Salazar's mind. Which did remind him of something he wanted to ask the other boy…

"Godric," Salazar called out as he pulled on a tunic. He had scavenged for wearable clothing in the huts of the abandoned village and had managed to find a few wearable tunics, a pair of trousers, shoes, and a cloak. Most things had been destroyed or were too ratty for use. One such ratty tunic he had used for wrappings on his feet and over his wrists to make his clothing more manageable. A length of rope finished off the outfit as a belt. Slipping on his well worn shoes then, he went to go find his friend. He was nowhere to be found in the nearby collapsed huts. Confused, Salazar continued to work his way outward as he looked through the ramshackle buildings.

As he searched, there were suddenly two strong arms that wrapped around him. A filthy hand clamped over his mouth and foul smelling breath washed over his ear. "Be still, boy." The voice was rough and there was no trace of the rather fine way of speaking that Godric had. It suddenly made him suspicious of Godric's origins again in a small part of his mind. But there wasn't time to think of such things, so he quickly stopped moving. His body may have gone still, but there was a calculating look in his eyes. Who was the man? Where had he come from? What was it that he wanted? A bandit of some sort perhaps? Whoever he was, how was he to get out of the man's grasp? Was Godric okay?

But speak of the devil and he shall appear. "Hey! You get away from him, you filthy thief!" Godric's voice rang out and interrupted Salazar's thoughts. It made Salazar want to groan in annoyance no matter how pleased he was to know that Godric was safe… for now. Stupid, brash Gryffindor… Grunting softly then as the grip on him tightened, Salazar's eyes then went wide as cold metal pressed into his throat. He thought he knew what that was… and he rather hoped that Godric wouldn't do anything stupid. But of course, his friend being who he was, took a step forward. "Hey! I said get away from him!" The knife only pressed harder against his throat and Salazar started to panic. This was not how he wanted to die! He would come back to haunt Godric the rest of his life if the boy caused his end!

But as his panic rose, heaviness grew in the air. So when the knife at his throat suddenly drew a line of blood, the pressure exploded outwards in reaction. The man who held him captive was thrown backwards and through an already crumbling wall. The unstable house quickly collapsed on him and buried him in debris. Salazar could only look at the building in surprise, a hand going to his injured throat. What was that? Wait… magic. Yes, magic. He knew this. It was like language, an integral part of him that could not be forgotten. The use of magic reminded him of that. He didn't know how such knowledge was retained, but perhaps it was instinctual? So it did not surprise him when he realized that what he had just performed was accidental magic. It did not surprise him when he came to the sudden realization that he was a wizard. It wasn't something to be feared, but to be proud of. But Godric… was another matter entirely. What would he think of him?

Quickly closing off his face, he turned to look at his friend with a cool expression hiding his turbulent emotions. He rather expected that the boy would start off on one of his rants, calling him a freak or some such nonsense. But the boy was gaping at him in a small amount of awe. Salazar was starting to feel uncomfortable when the boy suddenly burst out, "You are a wizard, too! I thought… you were just a mundane…" He then smiled brightly and walked over to his friend. "That was simply amazing, Sal!"

"Do not call me that infernal nickname," Salazar managed to rush out, surprised and not sure what else to say. Godric was accepting him! In fact, the boy had mentioned that he was a wizard as well! But that brought him to the point of… Salazar's eyes narrowed and he put his hands on his hips. "Explain. Now." He said sharply, making Godric itch the back of his neck sheepishly.

"If you want, Sal… but we should probably move on from here." The boy looked around a little sadly and just a tad nervously. "I mean… who knows how many more are out there." He motioned towards the caved in house where the bandit had been thrown into. He was now either dead or still unconscious. Godric really did not want to hang around to find out. So he quickly led the way back to their little hut. There, both boys gathered up what food they could in some makeshift packs. They had little else to take with them so Godric quietly led his friend out of the hut and out of the small grouping of buildings. Running into the nearby forest, they were soon on their way in no particular direction. No one seemed to be following them so it was there that Salazar demanded once more for Godric to tell him his story. Finally, and grudgingly, Godric did.

He licked his lips nervously before taking a deep breath, not looking over at Salazar as he spoke, "I come from a noble family or sorts, as I am sure you have figured out by now." Salazar nodded curtly in response as he carefully found his footing through the woods. Godric's speech and mannerisms were too proper for what he assume a poor lad would otherwise be. He waited impatiently for Godric to continue but Godric nibbled on his lower lip for a few moments before continuing. He sighed out then. "My parents are both mundane. But I started showing signs of magic when I was very young. A local man in the village noticed and offered to teach me magic in secret," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, not explaining how the older wizard had found out. "A few weeks before I found you, I took a trip with my parents to visit my mother's family. However, while we were traveling we were set upon by rogues." A scowl passed over Godric's face. "I used magic to protect myself… I had no other way. But I was banished. My parents disowned me and threw me out." The boy didn't look pleased and perhaps a bit saddened. Salazar could imagine it was from the betrayal of his parents. Magic was a gift to be proud of, Salazar believed even though he had only just remembered his abilities. He was broken from his thoughts as Godric continued to speak. "If it was not for the magic I had been taught, I do not think that I would have survived this long. Nobles are not exactly known for being able to survive in the wilderness," Godric snorted.

Salazar didn't respond, not knowing what to say. What could he say anyways? But finally, the boy let out a breath. "If it is any consolation… if it had never happened, I doubt that you would have met me. We would have never met so we would not be good friends." In response, he got a small smile. They had each other. The past was past as far as Salazar was concerned. It was not like he could remember his own anyways, so they could put such things behind them.

((Page Break))

"_Dhíbirt!"_

Cursing, Salazar ducked under the maroon spell that streamed towards him with a faint whistling noise. With an annoyed scowl, he quickly hissed and flicked his wand sharply. A pale blue spell crackled on its course towards the spot Godric was standing. Immediately, the young teen circled his wand quickly, bringing up a shield. The strength behind Salazar's spell was too strong for Godric's shield and so Salazar's spell broke through the shimmering barrier. The hex slammed into Godric's chest causing the teen to go flying backwards where he crashed into a nearby tree trunk. He was only thankful that he was able to cast a cushioning charm before he was severely hurt. Grumbling to himself as he stood up and brushed off his tunic, Godric then raised both of his hands while he stated sourly, "I surrender." He quickly scowled at the smirk that Salazar had on his lips, Godric's wand being twirled in his fingers.

It had been a few years since the two had met. With no real home to return to for either of them, at least that Salazar could still not remember, they had spent the time travelling. Ever since they had left that ruined little village, they had never stopped moving for long. For it was during their travels that they often came across various wizard kind that would agree to teach them. It had been a year into their travels that the two young men had come across a man that had agreed to teach them wand crafting so they were able to create their own wands. While wandless magic was definitely useful, it was much easier to channel more powerful spells with a wand as a focus. A wand had the ability to channel more power with more accuracy. The same thing could be done through wandless magic, but one would need a great deal of concentration and double the time of a spell with a wand. Wandless magic was not practical for dueling unless one wanted to throw around mainly stunners and disarming spells. Wands were much more practical and handmade ones were more attuned to their wielder.

So once they had their wands, the young men - now roughly sixteen by estimation on both boy's counts - had soaked up every bit of knowledge they could find. Salazar had even amassed a good size library of scrolls and even a few precious books. He kept these all hidden in a trunk that he had shrunk to fit on a chain around his neck. He had started his own journals as well, taking notes and making observations.

And now, currently, the two young men had taken a break from their travels to practice their dueling skills and then settle down for the night. And Salazar had come out the victor. He, of course, made sure to gloat about it: "Seems I win again, Godric," Salazar drawled, a smirk on his lips. His dark green eyes glinted in amusement as he looked over at his friend. He then threw the teen his wand before brushing off himself and picking up his pack. "I know we had decided to settle down for the night, but come on… let us continue. There is a village not that much further along the road, if my calculations are correct. Instead of staying here, we should be there by nightfall. There we can stay the night instead of sleeping on the dirt road again. I would rather not listen to your complaining again about how the rocks are digging into your delicate back," he practically purred. He could never pass up the chance to tease Godric. And the man really could give as good as he got so it make things all the more entertaining. "We can decide what to do from there, if it agrees with you." However, instead of a retort back, Salazar only received a curt nod in reply. Rolling his eyes in exasperation at Godric's brooding, he shot a quick cheering charm towards the other male. "Oh, stop your moping, will you? You have bested me many times in a duel. It is only fair that I should best you."

Godric huffed and shouldered his own pack. "Yes, but I have been losing much more frequently as of late. And that cheering charm was entirely unnecessary," he tried to grumble but it came out with a giggle at the end. He quickly clamped his mouth shut as Salazar only smirked and shrugged his shoulders. As he pouted in response, Godric started off towards the road again. But as they walked along the road, Salazar spied smoke in the distance. He frowned as he studied the curling ribbons of smoke, deciding that it was much too dark and plentiful for normal stove fire. Concerned, he motioned towards the area to get Godric's attention. He didn't have to say anything before Godric nodded grimly and apparated away. Typical, Salazar thought with a roll of his eyes and followed after him. Reckless Gryffindor, going in without thinking. At least the man had enough sense to apparate on the edge of town rather than inside where Salazar joined him. Someone had to keep Godric out of trouble after all.

Not wanting to be seen and since Godric did not look like he was going to make any move to do anything, Salazar cast a swift spell to cloak them from view. It would make eyes slide right over them, dismissing them. Salazar looked around grimly then, making observations. "Northmen," he finally spoke, distaste evident in his tone. Ever since the run in with the man those several years ago, he had a disdain for dirty varmints. And, to him, the northmen certainly counted. They had met a few that had settled down and farmed the land that were fascinating enough with their customs, their gods. But then… there were still tales of the raids against coastal villages and there was always the warring and feuds. "There is not much that we can do, Godric." He told the man with a frown, looking over the burning town. If there were any survivors, they were likely long gone. But before he could say anything more to persuade his friend into moving from the village, there was a sudden sharp scream. Godric was off in that direction before Salazar could stop him. Groaning in exasperation about how predictable Godric was, Salazar took off after his friend.

When Salazar rounded the corner, he found Godric defending a cowering young woman who had her back pressed against the crumbling wall behind her. She was covered in dirt and had tear tracks down her face while her blond hair was brown because of mud. Her pale blues eyes, a pretty colour like the sky, stood out against her pale face and were glittering with tears. Godric had somehow managed to get in front of her and was facing off against two northmen. The men were large in stature like giants, axes in hand, and only looked amused that a young man barely out of boyhood was trying to get in their way. They both dived at Godric and Salazar felt a sense of hopelessness flood him. Godric couldn't defend himself against two mundane. Not like that at least. And he was too far away for him to be able to help his only friend. It was at that thought that a spell flitted through the front of his mind. Without stopping to think, and acting on a hopeless wish to do anything to save his friend, Salazar's wand was out and he had it pointed towards one of the northmen. _"Avada Kedavra."_

A dark, yet sickly, green spell shot out of his wand and slammed into the nearest northman. Immediately, the man stiffened and fell to the ground dead. With the distraction, Godric was able to knock out the remaining northman. Salazar did not even notice, his wand clutched loosely in his trembling hand. He hadn't thought… it just came to mind… he hadn't known what it would do… he had just killed a man! Salazar's eyes were filled with horror. He knew that the times didn't allow for a soft mind, but he had never killed before. It was… too much to take. His vision swam, but suddenly the young girl that they had protected was standing in front of him. She seemed to sense the turmoil he was in and reached up to place her hands against his cheeks. "Thank you. You have saved my life." She spoke gently, a small smile on her lips. She still looked frightened, but none of that terror was directed towards him. Salazar immediately felt his shoulders relax. "I am Salazar." He whispered then, his voice cracking briefly. "Salazar Slytherin…"

The young girl smiled at him and pulled her hands back. "Thank you, Salazar Slytherin." She said again before looking over to Godric. "And thank you. My name is Helga Hufflepuff."

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"You know, I still do not see why you would want to come along with us," Salazar suddenly remarked dryly as he twisted in his seat to look over at the only female of their group. Helga gave the teen a placating smile and adjusted her skirt.

"I do not have any where else to go, Master Slytherin," she cooed softly making Salazar cringe and then look away with a scowl. "Besides… Would you leave a woman defenseless after an attack such as that?" She inquired with a gentle smile on her lips. But the look didn't fool Salazar, even though he wasn't looking in her direction. Helga was a strange woman… much different than the women of the time that Salazar had come to know. And her name Helga… perhaps she was the daughter of a northman? She could certainly pass for one with her blonde hair and bold nature. She also had a noble air about her, something she had apparently picked up after having been a servant in some lord's castle for a time. Or so she said. He wasn't quite sure he should believe her or not. Then there was the fact that she was a witch. Not a much trained one, but a witch nonetheless. Godric, of course, had taken it upon himself to teach the only female. Salazar had not participated in these lessons, not wanting to take away his time he devoted to his own studying. Although… Salazar did have to admit that the girl was fairly talented when it came to herbs. Perhaps… he could allow her to take a look at the journal he was writing on magical herbs and plants. She just might have some input.

With a sigh though, the young man shook his head clear of his thoughts and looked back down along the path. After saving Helga, they had taken three abandoned horses from the village and had taken off. Salazar had thought that Helga's travelling with them would only last a few days, or until they had come across a village. But those days has passed and it found Helga still traveling with them. It didn't seem like the girl would be leaving anytime soon either.

Bringing his horse to a halt then, Salazar slid off the creature's back and then made his way towards the small stream. "We should rest here for a little while." He said, glancing over to Godric. The other male merely shrugged and quickly swung off of his horse's back. Salazar had to scowl a little at his friend's grace in how he did it. It was obvious that Godric had ridden horses plenty of times before. Salazar didn't know if he had ever done, and if he had… well all that knowledge was long gone. He had to learn how to ride a horse the hard way. His bum was still sore from the experience, even with a cushioning charm… and they were still riding. It seemed like it was going to be the mode of transport from now on. For one, it was apparently not proper for a woman to have to walk for so long. And for another, horses were valuable in many ways. Salazar did grudgingly admit that the trips were faster than if they had walked since it just wasn't practical to take any other wizarding forms of transport. A portkey and apparation had to be done with an exact location in mind. They were wandering aimlessly.

"You know, Salazar… if you were more accepting and less grumpy, I might be more inclined to share my scrolls with you." Helga's voice wafted over to Salazar as the young man was bending down to drink from the stream. He choked softly as he was startled out of his thoughts before turning to look at the young girl with slightly reddened cheeks. He quickly cleared his throat and turned his head away. "Scrolls? What do you mean, Helga?" He asked carefully, trying not to appear too eager. He could never pass up the chance to learn more. He glanced back at Helga secretly, gauging her expression.

The young girl gained a triumphant look on her face much to his chagrin. The witch just couldn't hide her emotions at all… "My family were just simple commoners." She passed off, but there was a smug tilt to her voice that had Salazar narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Helga quickly giggled and then continued to speak. "But I also come from a wizarding pureblood family. So, I have a few scrolls that have been passed down," she told him eagerly.

Oh, Salazar was definitely interested now. Scrolls on family magic? That was what Helga had hinted at, and oh how he wanted to get his hands on them. Helga was still speaking, however. "Most commoners do not know how to read or write these days… but my father taught me." She seemed proud of this. "Most purebloods know how to read, whether they are wealthy or not." She was babbling on, but Salazar wasn't really paying attention anymore. He supposed he could be nicer to her… but doing it just to get his hands on the scrolls was too obvious. He would have to ease into it and not just start being nice to her all at once. But first…

"I suspect you are the daughter of a northman," he said suddenly, his words cutting her off. "So how do you have scrolls? It is, to my knowledge, that they do not own such things."

Helga puffed herself up with a huff. "Yes, alright. My father was a northman. But several generations ago. My family was one of the first to settle in this land. My mother is more native to this country and it is through her family that the scrolls were passed down."

Godric, at the side, was watching all of this in amusement. He knew Salazar better than anyone, so he knew that the young man was planning something. Snorting in amusement, he shook his head before going to wash his face in the stream as well. As he washed his face, he called out to Salazar and made a vague motion before wandering off to relieve himself. Helga looked curious but Salazar merely rolled his eyes and diverted her attention by bringing out some food that they had brought with them. But as he was portioning the bread for them, a startled yelp had him stiffening and pulling out his wand in preparation for an attack. But he wasn't prepared for Godric to come running back with a panicked look on his face. The young man was trying to stuff his genitals back into his untied pants as he ran while an irate snake slithered behind him, snapping at his heels.

Helga shrieked beside him, a mixture of fear at the snake and indignation at the eyeful she had gained because of Godric. Putting his wand away, Salazar rolled his eyes and stepped forward._'What has my friend done this time?' _He called out in Parseltongue, getting the snake to stop in its tracks. Godric hid himself behind Salazar, a movement that amused the black haired wizard greatly. But instead of commenting on the sudden lack of bravado, he turned his attention back to the snake that had coiled itself in front of him. The large black creature was hissing something about Godric trampling his nest. Salazar sighed and looked over to his friend who was holding onto him and whispering for him to get rid of the snake. "Stop that." He said in irritation before looking back over to the magnificent serpent. _'My friend is a bumbling oaf, but he did not mean to damage your nest,' _Salazar tried to calm the still irate snake.

Finally, the creature seemed to realize that Salazar was talking to him and actually understood him. Slithering closer, the snake raised its head up higher. _'A speaker… I have never heard of such a thing before.' _It said, observing Salazar with a calculating eye. Finally, he moved closer to Salazar and started to wrap around the wizard's leg. Climbing up until he was resting over Salazar's shoulders, the snake proceeded to make itself comfortable. _'I will come with you, Speaker,"_ it decided_. "In payment for your… oaf having destroyed my nest.' _Salazar supposed that there was going to be no changing the snake's mind. In truth, he didn't really mind. The snake was obviously magical otherwise it would not have been there in the country at all. He was curious about the creature.

"It is going to eat you, Sal! Let me… let me take care of it!" Godric had pulled out his wand and had filled himself up with bravado once more in the face of the snake. In response, Salazar threw him a sharp glare and then petted the creature's head. Godric couldn't help but gape as he got the implied message. "You cannot be seriously thinking about keeping it!" He cried out, looking indignant. "It tried to kill me!"

Salazar glared again and then headed over to his horse. He climbed up onto the creature's back and looked down at his friend with a superior look. "You trampled his nest." He spoke shortly. "He was not trying to kill you. He was merely irritated that you had destroyed it with your bumbling around. He is the one who decided that he will come with me. Besides, he can talk to me and I think that this intrigues him. He will be staying." He was not going to argue this with Godric and his friend knew that.

So Godric merely started to grumble and walked over to his own horse. Helga was left feeling extremely out of place. She felt like she was missing something. Not to mention the fact that Salazar could apparently speak with snakes… Godric seemed to have already been aware as he had done his freaking out over the actual snake rather than his friend speaking with said creature. It was rather intriguing, but this was new to her. She had never heard of such an ability before. Climbing onto her own horse's back, she watched the black haired wizard with a small frown. She didn't hate him for it and she didn't fear him… it was just strange. She knew he wasn't a bad person anyways. Rubbing her chest lightly over her heart, she quickly nudged her horse to catch up with the other two.

Godric was sulking and Salazar was quietly conversing with his new pet.

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"Godric, what did you _do_?" Salazar's exasperated voice broke the relative silence. They were currently surrounded by guards, weapons pointed towards them. Helga was standing between Godric and Salazar, who were facing away from each other.

"I did not do anything!" The man's indignant voice called out. Said man had a hand on his sword, something he had stolen awhile back from a blacksmith that they had come across in some unimportant village. Salazar had two knives hidden in sheaths on his forearms, but he didn't make any moves to grab them just yet. Over the year they had been traveling with Helga, the two men had taken up adding in physical combat to their duels. Godric had been learning how to handle a sword, tips he picked up along the way that built up on the foundation that he had learned in his childhood. Salazar wasn't fitted for a sword. He preferred a pair of knives that he had stolen only a few months ago. The knives weren't flashy like Godric's sword was.

Salazar was about to draw his knives when a new voice called out over the group. "What is going on here?" It was the voice of a young woman. When she appeared, Salazar had to guess that she was close to their age of seventeen. Well, Helga was roughly sixteen years, but she figured she would be turning seventeen soon. Dismissing that thought quickly, Salazar took in the image of the young woman who had appeared. She was dressed in a fine blue dress and riding on a black horse. Her cloak was lined with fur, so it was apparent that she was rather well off. Dark grey eyes took each of them in, her black hair blowing in the light breeze. "Well?" She spoke impatiently.

Salazar looked over her with narrowed eyes and received a stern look in reply. Straightening, the black haired man tilted his head up. "We were minding our own business when were accosted in the road, my lady." His voice, having deepened over the years, was smooth. A light brushing of hair adorned his chin and his black hair had grown out, held back now by a braid. It was much easier to take care of than the rat's nest it used to be. He stood tall now, though still shorter than Godric's rather impressive height. The red haired man's hair was longer as well, though he kept it loose. Still, all of them retained the look of youth and one could tell that they were still young.

On the horse, the lady looked over to the guards who were surrounding the small ground. "And what say you of this? What have they done to warrant such a response?" She asked coolly, making the guards fidget slightly. Finally, one guard seemed to draw up his courage and accused of seeing one of the travelers perform magic.

Exasperated, Salazar rolled his eyes as his mind picked out Godric. He knew who that had been… Discreetly, he pulled out his wand. He figured that an oblivate would do the trick for this. Being accused of magic was a serious thing and they could be burned if they didn't manage to escape. Besides the lady and a few guards, there was no one else around. But to be safe, they would leave as soon as they got away from the guards. Salazar quickly fired off a few obliviates but then suddenly had to duck as a spell whizzed over his head. Frowning, he turned to find that the lady had pulled out her own wand. Incredulous, Salazar quickly knocked out the guards before facing the woman on horseback. "You are…" He stopped quickly, not wanting to speak the word out loud. Shaking his head then, he frowned. "We have not done anything to harm anyone. If you let us go, we will be on our way." He spoke in a placating manner, spreading his hands slightly to show that they didn't mean any harm. Sometimes, it was best to try to speak your way out of things if you were uncertain of how other skills could help you along, Salazar had found.

"Who are you all?" The lady demanded with a frown on her lips. Salazar didn't reply at first, his lips thinning slightly. But finally he relented and he introduced them. Surprisingly, Godric had remained relatively quiet. Helga wasn't a surprise as she was a healer and not much of a fighter.

The lady looked over the three of them before sliding out of her saddle in an elegant motion. "I am Lady Rowena Ravenclaw."

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Somehow, Salazar had to say that he saw this coming. However, Godric was very vocal about his reaction to Rowena's suggestion. "You want to do _what_?"

Sighing in a manner that said that she was exercising great patience, Rowena straightened out her skirt. "I want to build a school, Godric." She said lightly closing the book in front of her. She then held up her hand before Godric could interrupt her again. Salazar had to hide a smirk at Godric's indignant look. "Listen to me for once, will you? Take a look at how all of you grew up. I know, Salazar, that you do not remember, but think of the other two. Godric, you were disowned because you are a wizard and had to travel from place to place with Salazar to manage to build the knowledge of magic that you possess. Helga, you come from a pureblood family, but did not have many recourses readily available to you. It was all luck that we were all able to come together and were able to amass the knowledge that we have. Others of our kind have not been so lucky… think of the burnings." Salazar's jaw tightened at that. "We need to build to school where we can bring in students of all backgrounds to teach them."

In the end, it didn't take much to convince the others that it would be a good idea. Salazar was into the idea more because they would be able to stop running. He had enjoyed traveling, but he wanted to settled down for awhile and work on his magic. He wanted to work on his potions… Helga looked at him in amusement when he mentioned this. "And you used to say that you would be no good at it." She teased him from her spot near the window. The group of them had been staying with Rowena for the past few months, though they had been planning to leave soon. It seemed that plans would be changing.

"I did use to be terrible with them." Salazar spoke tightly. "I have a feeling… and some vague memories that suggest that I was very bad at them when I was younger." It was Helga and her knowledge of herbs and magical plants that helped make it click. She was a patient teacher and now that he understood the properties better, Salazar had soaked up any knowledge of potion making that he could find.

Rowena smiled briefly before standing up. She then walked over to a little chest and pulled out a scroll. "There is a castle a few days' ride from here. My father started the construction, but he never completed it. I have been working on getting the deed to the castle and grounds. It should not take me long, but if I can get the deed then that is where we can build our school. Much of the construction is done, but we can add towers or more floors if we need to. Wards and enchantments will need to be woven in as well. Doing it this way, we will have an easier time than trying to start from scratch with no building at all."

There was silence as the three others thought over the idea. Helga was the first to smile and nod her head. "I think it is a wonderful idea. I would like to add in an infirmary! There are bound to be injuries… especially with the two of you as teachers!" She teased the two males, making Salazar scowl lightly. Still, the man did see the merit of the idea and nodded his head in acceptance.

Godric was silent for awhile longer before he suddenly smirked. "Fine. I shall agree as well. But only if we call the school Hogwarts." He looked smug, ignoring the incredulous look that Salazar shot him. "What? I think it would be funny!" He stated and crossed his arms. "We are not going to call the school Hogwarts." Salazar hoped to whatever deity out there that the name would not stick. Who would want to go to a school named 'Hogwarts'? It sounded disgusting, not for a name of a school for small children. No, definitely not. The school would never be called Hogwarts.

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"I cannot believe that you are actually going to let him call the school Hogwarts." Salazar grumbled as they sat in the great hall of the castle. Just a few days ago they had finished with construction. They were going to start weaving the spells for the wards soon, but were taking a break to replenish their magic cores. It had taken nearly a year of magic enhanced construction to finish the school. For the moment, they were going over various plans for the school.

Shaking his head, Salazar gently stroked the head of Eolas, the snake that he had encountered all of those years ago. Eolas was now his familiar and could be seen with Salazar a good portion of the time. "We have already decided who will teach what classes… where are we going to have the students sleep? There will be times in between classes. I will imagine that we will have them stay in the castle for a majority of the year as well." He had a small frown on his lips. "We will need to create dormitories."

Godric suddenly interrupted Salazar. "Why not build houses?" He said with a grin. "Or, what I mean is… why not sort the students according to different attributes in their personalities? They will be with other students that are similar to them, so it will make it easier to adjust. I can take all the brave students." He grinned proudly. "I can watch over them. Salazar can take all of the cunning students…. And so on."

Salazar let out a sigh. "Your idea has merit, I agree." He frowned slightly before giving his friend a teasing look. "Time must be ending for Godric to actually have a good idea for once." He said before waving his hand slightly. "We would have to carefully create an object to sort the students, but we can each have our own group, or House, like Godric said. We would have responsibility over one group, which will save us the trouble of all four of us having to look over the entire body of students. It also solves the dormitory problem. We can each pick a part of the castle for our House to be in. There will be a common room and then the dormitory rooms themselves." He ran his fingers over Eolas' head again. "I will take the dungeons." He said thoughtfully after a moment. "The potions classroom and my office already down there. My chambers are nearby, so I can have the student dormitories in another section of the dungeons."

A little down the table, Helga looked positively enchanted. "I will take the first floor, but I am not quite sure yet. I will find a place." She giggled softly. "It will be near my chambers as well. Just a few corridors down." The young woman then brightened then. "We should pick symbols for our Houses to tell them apart!" She tapped her lip thoughtfully before smiling happily once more. "Yellow is my favorite colour, so I will choose that! Black will be a good compliment, I think. So black and yellow are my colours!" She then looked thoughtful again. "An animal to represent each House would be good as well, to add a bit of fun and have a sort of… guardian for our Houses." She hummed softly. "A badger! My House's animal will be the badger!"

Smiling pleasantly at Helga's enthusiasm, Rowena nodded her head. "I shall have blue and bronze then, for my House. The Eagle will be my animal, of course." She then tilted her head thoughtfully as she smoothed out her skirt. "I think I will have the West Tower for my House." She spoke at last before looking over to Godric. "And you?" She looked amused.

Smirking, Godric crossed his arms. "East wing, tallest tower... it has one of the best views in the entire castle!" He spoke exuberantly, making Salazar sigh but smile fondly. Godric ignored him and continued speaking. "Colours… red and gold, of course! Bright and bold! And a lion will be my House's animal, because they are brave and bold!"

Salazar looked amused. "I suppose I shall take green and silver then. A snake will be my House animal." He paused to stroke Eolas' scales. "I do not suppose I have to explain why, do I?" He raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. Godric rolled his eyes in response, but Salazar ignored him. "We have the four Houses then… Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor." He paused then before looking thoughtful. "We should have a competition. Doing well in class can earn points while getting in trouble can take points away. Whichever House has the most points at the end of the year wins. It may give the students reason to want to do well and not get in trouble."

"Prepare to be beaten, Slytherin!" Godric seemed to be set on the whole idea of a competition.

"I will not even have to try to overtake you, Gryffindor." Looking over at Godric, Salazar raised an eyebrow as he retorted in kind.

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"Five years… it has been five years since I first met you, Godric." Salazar was standing with the man in Godric's office. "Five years, but it seems like a lifetime." He smiled slightly before smoothing out his tunic. "The first of the children will be arriving tonight, as you know. I believe Rowena said it should be around dinner, so we will be having a feast to celebrate."

"And the feast I suppose was Helga's idea?" Godric interrupted, but Salazar only gave a small chuckle before nodding his head. "Cannot say that I am very much surprised, of course." Godric passed off before leaning back in his chair slightly. He had a thoughtful look on his face. "We are all roughly nineteen years… It is amazing to think that we are going to be teachers in a school of magic. We are by no means masters." He shook his head.

Chuckling, Salazar walked over to his friend and leaned against the desk. "Perhaps not." He said shortly before waving a hand briefly. "But the children that we are going to teach are young. They will only need to know the basics, something that we all know very well. As they learn, so will we. We will each have a mastery before too long, I suspect. Rowena's library is slowly expanding more and more. I, myself, have been studying and experimenting in my free time."

Godric nodded his head before standing up. "Yes, I do suppose that you are right. We should get down to the great hall for lunch." He smiled before leading his friend out of his office. The two then made their way down to the hall. There, Godric took a pause to stare up at the ceiling. "I cannot believe we managed something like that. It awes me every time! The perfect bit of magic to bring awe to those who gaze upon it! Adds a bit of wonder!"

Salazar laughed and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thank Rowena and her books! It helped that there were the four of us weaving in the spells together. I do not think that we would have been able to succeed otherwise. Some of those spells had to have cast simultaneously or there would have been a very different product. The theory behind it is absolutely fascinating."

Snorting, Godric started his way back up to the front where Helga was already waiting. "Your thirst for knowledge is only surpassed by Rowena." He said dryly before sitting down. Lounging back in his seat, he then looked out over the great hall. There were four long tables, each decorated in their different colours. Godric suspected that only the ends would be used for some time, but hopefully their school would expand in time. Greeting Rowena then, he waited for her to be seated before starting on his meal. For not knowing any of them more than a few years, he felt like he had a family with them.

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Classes were exhausting… but well worth it. They had managed to gain a few more professors, but he still took on teaching two subjects himself. It was hard to juggle sometimes, but he would never give it up. Currently, he had just concluded his potions lesson. He had sent the children out and had leaned back at his desk. He needed to clean up before he had to head out for his next class. After a month in school, things were going very well. Most of the time they did not send out homework or take written tests because many of the children did not know how to read, or knew very little. Rowena taught reading and writing, but Salazar had meaning to ask her about adding in a class that would help mundane born students better adjust to magic.

Standing up, Salazar vanished any spilled potion before sending unused ingredients back to the cupboard. Making his way out of the classroom then, he locked the door behind him. Stopping by his office, he grabbed a few things before heading up further into the school. His next class was Dark Arts and defense of them. Dark Arts was his next passion besides Potions. Technically, he could be considered a dark wizard now. But then, there was a difference between dark and evil. He was glad that his friends understood that. Because of this, he taught the Dark Arts along with defense against them. Godric was the one who took the lighter spells and defense. The only reason that Salazar taught the Dark Arts was so that he could teach the students in a heavily controlled environment. He could introduce them, show them dangers, and stop them from attempting more than they could handle. He had had the others' blessing, though Helga hadn't been too sure of it in the beginning.

"Professor Slytherin!"

A voice breaking through his thoughts, Salazar looked up to see one of his students running towards him. Frowning, he stopped and let the boy catch up. "Master Everett?" He asked while taking in the boy's worried look. "What is it?" The young boy looked out of breath as he bent over slightly, panting.

"Professor, you have to come quick! Jameson… Jameson is on the Astronomy Tower…" He trailed off, but Salazar got the gist of it. "Follow me." He spoke curtly before going over to the wall of the castle. There, he started hissing softly. In a few seconds a door slid open where there was once a seamless wall. Salazar quickly strode through; making sure that the Everett boy was following after him. The secret passage, available only to him because of the parsel magic involved, led them to a corridor away from the Astronomy Tower. Striding quickly, he opened the door to find one of his students standing on the tower and apparently preparing to jump.

Stepping forward slowly, Salazar held out a hand. "Jameson? Come here, son." He spoke softly, keeping his face blank. But the frightened boy only yelled at him to stay back. Frowning briefly, he stopped but continued to hold out his hand. He could summon the boy, but he wanted Jameson to step back on his own. He would use his magic only for last resort. "Come here, son. Tell me what had happened." He tried again, keeping his voice soothing. "Tell me what is wrong."

Jameson looked over his shoulder before looking back over the side of the tower. The boy then wiped at his eyes. "I am a freak." He finally said. "My parents said so… All the magic…" He wiped at his eyes again, sniffing. "They let me come here reluctantly when they found out I have magic. But… but they will not want me back… I just know it! I am a freak…"

Salazar frowned at the boy's jumbled rambling. He could only guess that the stress of learning must have gotten to the poor child. If he remembered correctly, and based on the way the boy was talking, Jameson was mundane born. "Come on, son. You are not a freak. Magic is special." He soothed, carefully edging forward. "If your parents do not like it, then we can become your family. Professor Godric was disowned… but look at him, a professor and a founder. You are safe here. You can protect yourself." He carefully reached out for the boy. "Come on down, Jameson. Let us go see the house elves and have them warm up some milk for you." He smiled encouragingly then as the boy turned around slightly, looking unsure. "That is right. Come on… I can help you."

Jameson looking like he was going to go to Salazar, but then suddenly he slipped. Letting out a piercing scream, he started to fall. Cursing in parseltongue, something he had picked up so he wasn't blatantly cursing in front of children, Salazar threw himself to the edge and cast a summoning charm. Immediately, the boy hovered briefly in the air before Salazar carefully dragged him back up with the spell. Gathering the sobbing boy into his arms then, Salazar grit his teeth and made a promise to himself. None of his students, the children in his House, would have to go through what Jameson had. He would be the support they needed if they could not get it anywhere else. His House would become a family, relying on themselves if they couldn't rely on anyone else.

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"I am sorry, Salazar. There is nothing that we can do." Rowena shook her head sadly, watching the man in front of them. Three years had passed since they had opened their school and many students had entered. There was even a thriving wizarding village which had set up not too far from the school grounds, named Hogsmeade. Currently, Salazar was trying to get the other founders to help him with one of his students. The young boy had been abandoned and now had no place to go. It had happened before to several other students, but they had been lucky enough to have other family willing to take them in, or have other families that were willing to adopt them. Thankfully, it did not happen often. However, this young boy had no one.

Finally, Salazar straightened up and sneered slightly. "Fine. If you are not willing to help me, then I will figure something out on my own." He turned abruptly, his emerald cloak flaring out behind him.

"Salazar! That was not…!" Godric's voice was cut off as the door slammed behind him. Sighing, Godric slumped back in his seat. "I do want to help." He murmured under his breath, raising a hand to rub the stubble on his cheek. "But there really is nothing… no one will take him in!"

Helga reached over and placed a hand on Godric's arm. "We know. But the boy's situation is so close to his own… he cannot help but feel for the boy. You know that." She then sighed and pulled her hand back. "Although… Salazar has changed as of late." She frowned slightly. "It is all of the burnings, I am afraid. We are all affected by it… but to suggest that we take away mundane born children? We cannot do that… It is a difficult situation."

The others nodded in response, though none of them said anything. They did do what they could, but there was little else they could do. Godric suspected that it was because many of the mundane born students went to Slytherin that Salazar was so affected. The man saw more than anyone else what it did to the children to be told that they were evil. Salazar and his House took in those children and taught them how to survive. He was glad that the man had taken it upon himself, but he feared for his friend. What if Salazar saw one thing too far? One day… maybe he would begin to hate the mundane.

…

Far below them, Salazar stormed into his chambers. There was only one thing left he could do… adopt the boy himself. So quickly stalking into his library, he shut the door behind him and started to research the ritual he would need. When he found it, hours later, Salazar immediately gathered the needed ingredients before summoning the boy to his work room. The twenty-two year old founder would not be swayed in his decision; he did not contact his friends first.

The boy, Cayden, was maybe fifteen years old at the most. He had been one of the few special cases that the founders had accepted in the recent year. Before Hogwarts, Cayden hid all signs of his magic. However, his parents had eventually found out and Cayden almost died before Salazar had come upon him during one of his travels to find magical children.

"Cayden." Salazar greeted the boy warmly when he appeared. Bringing the boy closer, he hugged him briefly before staring him firmly in the eyes. "I want to help you. But you are going to have to trust me." He told Cayden before explaining to him that he was going to adopt him into the Slytherin family. They were too close in age to get away with a father and son bond, but Salazar could adopt him as his brother. As a result, he wouldn't have to go back to his family and he would gain Salazar's Parsel abilities, along with the man's name.

In the end, Cayden agreed to the ritual and he became Cayden Slytherin, brother to Salazar Slytherin.

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"Salazar Slytherin, you are hereby banished from Hogwarts." They were words that he never wanted to hear, let alone from the mouth of his best friend. Had ten years meant nothing to him? Their school was flourishing, but it was far from perfect. Why would he be banished? No, that was wrong… he thought he understood why.

"Godric, please…" He tried, but the man only closed off his expression and clenched his jaw.

"No." The man stood from his spot at the staff table. "We should have never let you teach the Dark Arts to the children. So, you are banished from Hogwarts for fostering the dark arts in these halls. You must leave within twenty four hours." The man then sat back down, ignoring the hurt look that was on Salazar's face. Rowena looked pained, but she hid it behind a stern mask. Helga looked the most affected, tears in her eyes. She was looking down at her lap and refused to meet Salazar's eyes as the man searched them beseechingly.

Finally, Salazar gathered himself up. "Fine. So be it." He whispered before turning on his heel, hurt radiating from his body as he stalked away with his cloak billowing behind him. His entire House stood up and hurried after their Head. Once in the dungeons they crowded around him, searching for what to do. Keeping his agony from his face, Salazar drew them in close. "You cannot trust anyone." He told them. "Look where it got me… You can only trust yourselves. You are a family." He looked around at all of the young faces. "I am proud of you all… do not let anyone tell you anything different." He reached out to touch the cheek of one of the boy's. "If you need anything, any of you… do not be afraid to seek out the help of your fellow students. Slytherins stick together. Remember that."

Pulling away, Salazar said goodbye to his students before going to his rooms. He had no time to visit his secret chamber and he didn't really want to. He felt bad that he was leaving a little basilisk there, but with him gone, she would likely slip into hibernation. He knew of no other parselmouths except his brother, so he did not think that she would ever reawaken. Maybe one day if he did manage to come back he would go to her… if not, she would spend the rest of her days asleep.

Going to his desk, he wrote out a quick letter before setting several spells on it. Setting it on his desk, he then bent the wards and apparated away.

When he reappeared, he was standing in the middle of a large field. "Cayden!" He called out, knowing that his brother could hear him. His little brother, the one that he had taken in those two years ago, had betrayed him. He had taught him just like he had taught all of his other students. But Cayden had been closest to him, the one he had taught parselmagic because he had gained his parsel abilities. And in return… as soon as he had graduated a few months ago, he had gone out and started to kill mundane people, using the skills that Salazar had taught him. The Slytherin founder had felt so betrayed… he hadn't taught Cayden and taken him in just so he could become a murderer.

"Big brother." The words cut through Salazar's thoughts and the twenty five year old man turned to face the younger Slytherin. "Have you finally come to join me? You know as well as I do just how filthy mundanes are… they do not understand. They are afraid of us… but we, we are so much better than them. They do not deserve to live!"

Salazar suspected that it was the teen's treatment as a young child that had fostered this belief. He should have recognized it before now… yes, he didn't like mundanes. But they were human, too. They didn't deserve to die just because they didn't understand magic. "Give this up, Cayden." He said in a placating tone of voice, drawing his wand carefully. The other founders blamed him for Cayden, he knew they did. Truthfully, he blamed himself as well. He should have noticed, should have done more. He should have stopped Cayden before he could start this war. He was hurt that they would banish him for it, because he knew they blamed him for other reasons. He blamed himself for not doing enough… he knew the others blamed him for teaching Cayden the Dark Arts. He half wondered if maybe they thought he had sent the boy out to kill on his orders.

Shaking the thoughts off, Salazar raised his hand. "I did not come to join you, Cayden. I came here to stop you. And if that means killing you, then so be it." He could not go back to Hogwarts. The very least he could do was get rid of the threat to the peace. Maybe he would even die in the process. At that moment, he found he didn't really care. Whispering a spell, he initiated the duel.

Salazar had been the teacher. Salazar had been the one with more knowledge at his disposal and had more years of learning. He had been hailed as one of the geniuses of the age. Cayden was powerful, but he was no match for Salazar. Cayden had never had a real duel before except for the mock ones during school, which were tightly controlled. He went down quickly and Salazar was left staring down in anguish at the body of his brother. But he was unprepared the spell that suddenly slammed into him mere moments after Cayden fell. The spell, mangled by the teen's dying lips, twisted and combined with the residual magic that lingered in the field. His back arching in pain, Salazar started to fall to the ground. There was a bright flash of light and when it disappeared, Salazar Slytherin was nowhere to be found.

((End Chapter One))

**Holy crap… long chapter! Isn't it awesome? Anyways, I couldn't get this idea out of my head, so I hope you all enjoy it! Anyways, I know it was very fragmented. I wanted to highlight more important parts. You will get more flashbacks in later chapters, I promise.**

**Gaelic translations:**

"Ní ba mhaith liom é sin a dhéanamh dá mba mé tú." (I would not do that if I were you.)

"Bhí tú ag chodladh le tamall maith. Níor chóir duit a bheith ag dul suas." (You have been asleep for quite some time. You should not be getting up.)

"Cad a tharla duit? Fuair mé tú i réimse, an talamh go léir a luaith thart timpeall ort." (What happened to you? I found you in a field, the ground all ash around you.)

"Cad é? Ní dóigh liom go dtuigeann tú." (What? I do not understand you.)

"Ní féidir leat labhairt mo theanga? An bhfuil tú nach ó thart anseo, ansin?" (You cannot speak my tongue? Are you not from around here, then?)

"Ah, nach raibh an rud cliste a iarraidh. Ar ndóigh, ní labhraíonn tú mo theanga. Níl sé deacair a chailleann." (Ah, that was not a smart thing to ask. Of course you do not speak my tongue. It is not hard to miss.)

"An féidir leat insint dom d'ainm?" (Can you tell me your name?)

"Ar ndóigh, nach bhfuil. Cad Tá mé ag smaoineamh?" (Of course not. What am I thinking?)

"Godric Gryffindor. Is é mo ainm Godric Gryffindor." (Godric Gryffindor. My name is Godric Gryffindor.)

"Cé go bhfuil tú?" (Who are you?)

"Tá a fhios agat, an ní a fhios agam an staid teanga céanna go bhfuil muid in áit bhfaigheann ... d'aois." (You know, this not knowing the same tongue situation that we have gets rather... old.)"

"Cad é?" (What?)

"Ba mhaith leat dom a mhúineadh agat!" (You want me to teach you!)

"Dhíbirt!" (Expel)


	2. Chapter 2

**Edit: Hello all! I have kept the announcements at the top of the page here, as they were… but those who have read this story before, will definitely want to read this chapter again. I have done extensive updating and a few things have changed. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Chapter two is out! Holy crap already, right? Haha, I really wanted to see how things played out, that's all. And now that the first chapter is out of the way, we'll get into the main story. It will go by much slower than it did in the previous chapter. So enjoy!**

**Author's Note, please read: I know a bunch of you were a little disappointed with how choppy the previous chapter was. Also, a lot of you didn't like how there wasn't enough interaction between the founders and a lot of it was implied. Just bare with me! I wanted to set a foundation to build on. You will see a lot more interaction between the founders when there are flashbacks. After all, Salazar doesn't remember who he originally was (Harry Potter) so his home was in the past as a founder. And Hogwarts… well, a lot of it will remind him of the good times. To him, the betrayal is still very fresh so some of it will probably be bittersweet. But I'm rambling now so I'll stop and let you focus on the story. Just keep reading, there is a method to my madness!**

**Disclaimer: Same as the first chapter. I don't feel like typing it out again, haha.**

**Last time:**

_Salazar had been the teacher. Salazar had been the one with more knowledge at his disposal and had more years of learning. He had been hailed as one of the geniuses of the age. Cayden was powerful, but he was no match for Salazar. Cayden had never had a real duel before except for the mock ones during school, which were tightly controlled. He went down quickly and Salazar was left staring down in anguish at the body of his brother. But he was unprepared the spell that suddenly slammed into him mere moments after Cayden fell. The spell, mangled by the teen's dying lips, twisted and combined with the residual magic that lingered in the field. His back arching in pain, Salazar started to fall to the ground. There was a bright flash of light and when it disappeared, Salazar Slytherin was nowhere to be found._

**Chapter Two**

His head was pounding… who managed to catch the number on that speeding Hippogriff? Salazar groaned before pressing a hand against his forehead. Now that sentence made no sense at all. Slowly opening his eyes, he then pushed himself into a more upright position. At least it was night out or at least very early morning… he would have rather not have the sun assaulting his poor eyes. Pulling out his wand, he then flicked it wordlessly so a pale light appeared. It then detached from his wand tip and hovered in front of him with a small whistling sound. It gave him some light to see by. Standing up then, he pushed aside his cloak and opened up a small pouch against his hip. Reaching in, his fingers soon closed around a small vial. Pulling it out, he observed it before nodding his head. One small dose of a headache reliever… exactly what he needed. Salazar never went anywhere without the pouch that contained several different potions.

Downing the concoction, he shook his head slightly with a small look of disgust. Putting the vial away then, he looked around him now that his head was feeling better. He appeared to be in the same meadow that he had fought Cayden in, but he distinctly remembered that there had definitely not been an old oak tree just a few feet off. And the wide river had definitely been a little stream. Something had happened, he was sure of it. But he wasn't quite sure where to go. First off, he was not welcome at Hogwarts anymore. If he reappeared there, he could not be certain of what sort of welcome he would receive. He did not have any other home either. But after a few moments of thought, he decided he would travel to Diagon Alley. Ollivander's shop was there, if he remembered correctly. He had, of course, crafted his own wand so he had no need for the actual shop… but the small community that had started to grow around the little shop would be a good place to start in his quest to find a new home.

Summoning up his magic, Salazar frowned when he realized that his magical core was very low. Ignoring it for the moment as it would not take much energy, he silently apparated away. When he reappeared he found himself not in a muddy alleyway between low huts for houses, but in an alleyway that was filled with nasty smelling trash and towering buildings on either side of him. He was immediately confused, wondering if he had apparated himself into a castle rather than Diagon Alley. He did feel he had been a bit off course, though he had been lucky he had not splinched himself. As he stepped out of the alleyway he had found himself in, Salazar was almost immediately nearly run over by a man on a strange contraption. And the people… there were so many of them even given the time of night it must have been! He had never seen so many people in one spot before. Concerned, Salazar immediately backed into the alleyway again and pulled out his wand. "Tempus." He had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right. And it wasn't. When he cast his spell, smoky letters and numbers appeared in the air in front of him. Scowling, he quickly dismissed the spell. "August 13th of the year 2005." He growled out before leaning against the wall. He swore his headache was coming back now. He was over one thousand years in the future! What was he supposed to do now? He definitely did not belong in this time…

Salazar's next immediate thought was to go to Hogwarts. Was his precious school still standing? The other founders would not be there to stop him from returning, he realized obviously. If his school no longer existed, then the very least the castle itself should still be there. It would be a place to live until he could figure out what had gone wrong. And if Hogwarts was still a school, then he could see how things had changed over the course of the long years. Would it still be a place to be proud of? With that thought in mind, Salazar gathered his magic and apparated away to the Forbidden Forest to just outside the ward boundaries.

((Page Break))

Ever since Harry Potter had disappeared, he had been thought dead. Dumbledore had tried to keep this news quiet so that it wouldn't get around. He was afraid of what might happen if the wizarding world knew that their precious savior was gone. This was a difficult task as he had disappeared during an attack on the boy's home. Dumbledore had tried to convince the world that Harry had gotten out safely and that he had hidden away for training. However, it had gotten hard to keep up this story as Harry had been gone for nearly five years now. He didn't think that the boy would be coming back… he should have been almost twenty years old.

Sighing from his spot at the head table, Dumbledore picked up his goblet and took a sip of the pumpkin juice contained within. Voldemort had been picking up steam as of late as well. The first few years had been mild. With Harry out of the picture, Voldemort had spent time looking for the boy but otherwise building up his army. There had been raids by the deatheaters and many deaths, but everything had been otherwise frighteningly quiet. To Dumbledore, he knew this was the calm before the storm. At least, it had given them time to prepare as well. Harry's friends had all graduated and many of his class were now in the Order. Hermione was a professor now at Hogwarts while Ron was there to keep up security as he was now an auror.

That was one more thing that hadn't changed since Harry had disappeared. The school was still open, a place of sanctuary for the children. It kept a sense of normalcy while it made sure that the future of the wizarding world could be defended in case war broke out fully. And given the size of the castle, whole families could be housed just in case. No other place was safer than Hogwarts and Dumbledore firmly believed that.

And currently it was early in August and they were preparing for the first day of school while the Order members were also juggling trying to stop Voldemort's raids. It was very early in the morning, the sun was just rising. There had been a small raid in the earlier hours and Dumbledore was waiting for the Order members to come back. He didn't have to wait too much longer for it was a few minutes later that very weary witches and wizards trudged in. They looked tired and dirty, a few injured as well.

Standing, Dumbledore went to greet them and see how things had gone. Thankfully, it looked that all of them had returned. Snape was suddenly there as well and started handing out various potions to those who needed it. As this all was happening, suddenly the castle seemed to brighten. The torches and candles burned brighter. Grime and dust magically disappeared. The tables suddenly looked like they had been waxed and polished. The House banners fluttered and the faded colours were bright, as good as new. There was a clanking sound as the suits of armour suddenly straightened and stood taller. Through the small group of wizards there were whispers of confusion. "Is the castle _preening_ itself?" One of the witches commented.

There was little time to ponder as moments later the doors to the Hall opened. Wands were drawn quickly, the Order on edge after such a bad raid the night before. They were prepared for anything, however, only a young man appeared and walked through the doors to the great hall. He had a bemused expression on his face at the action of the doors and the castle. Upon seeing the assembled group, the man looked momentarily surprised and then pleased. "An bhfuil tú ag múinteoirí anseo?" The man asked, but the Order shifted in confusion at the unknown words.

"I'm sorry… but we do not speak your language." Dumbledore stepped forward. He watched then as a flicker of surprise shot through the man's jaded almost black green eyes.

"How curious." The man suddenly spoke again. His words were slow and spoken with a heavy accent, as if he had not spoken English in a long time and had nearly forgotten how. "Are you teachers here?" He repeated his earlier words, looking over the others and taking in their dirty states.

Dumbledore looked surprised before he smiled. "I am the Headmaster here." He said before stepping closer again. "May I ask who you are and how you entered here?" Dumbledore asked with a curious tone and a kind smile on his face. But Salazar could see the wary gleam in the elderly man's eyes. Salazar knew he would have control over the wards, so he would have to be careful with his words.

"My name is Eolas… Evans, Headmaster," he pulled the name quickly out of his head, his pause barely noticed. "As for how I entered, I simply walked through the entrance gate." The wards would not bar a Founder from Hogwarts' grounds. Not even the other Founders could permanently bar him from his home. Yes, they had exiled him and they could have put forth measures to try to keep him out, but it was their animosity that had turned him away. And he knew that Godric would have followed through on his threats. But here? They had no power. And, furthermore, he harboured no ill intent towards the school. The wards would not see him as a threat, he had helped to create them after all. It would not make the headmaster trust him, but it would at least show him in a more positive light.

Dumbledore gave him a smile, but Salazar could almost see the thoughts going through the man's mind. And the way his eyes twinkled… Salazar immediately tightened his mental shields. "Kindly stay out of my head, Headmaster," Salazar spoke icily. "I can understand the need to protect your school, but I do not take kindly to my privacy being violated. If you have a question for me, then simply ask it. I have no reason to hide."

The twinkle in the headmaster's eyes dimmed. "Ah, my apologies, good sir, but one cannot be too careful these days. So if I may ask why you are here? And if I may see your forearms, if you would."

Salazar was puzzled by the request, but pushed up the sleeves of his dusty robes to show his arms to the Headmaster. They were scarred from day to day life and he had twin bands of rune markings around his forearms, just beneath his elbows. He rarely showed them off and the way they were exposed made him uncomfortable. "While I cannot fathom why, are you satisfied?" He asked coldly, and as soon as he had a nod of approval, he yanked his sleeves down. "I am here to seek refuge at Hogwarts. For reasons that are painful to me to discuss, I find myself without a home and no other place to go. It is my hope that I am not wrong in my understanding that Hogwarts is a safe haven for those who request it."

"No. Absolutely not," a different voice spoke up, cutting off whatever it was that the Headmaster was about to say. "He may not have a Dark Mark, Albus, but I still do not trust him. I do not like the look of him." There was a strange gleam in the man's eyes that unsettled Salazar. There was a deep grief, but also resentment and a strange bitterness. For the life of him he could not figure out why it would be directed towards _him_. The man did not even know him!

"You distrust me so easily. I would like to inquire the name of the one who shows me such loathing," Salazar spoke almost sweetly, his cold emerald eyes glimmering with challenge.

The man stood up in response. "Sirius Black. You would so well to remember it since it will be the last thing you think if you try anything," Black spoke menacingly.

Black… where had he heard that name before? Oh yes, if had been the surname of one of Gryffindor's mundane born students. "Sirius Black, you say? Is that not the name of a star? How quaint. But I will not be thinking of a Black _dog_ should my time come," Salazar replied sweetly. His words had Black whipping his wand out before anyone could react. Salazar had anticipated the move and so easily deflected the hex sent towards him. "You attack me just like a dog would," he taunted. "Do you not wish to challenge me to a proper duel, you plebian?" He taunted the man, but never once cast his own spell.

But Dumbledore had finally had enough, so it never came down to it anyways. "That is quite enough, Mr. Evans. And Sirius, I expected better of you!"

Salazar tucked his wand away and gave Dumbledore a formal bow. "I apologize for my actions, Headmaster. I am a guest in your school so it was wrong of me to goad Master Black when I understood the actions he might take against me."

"That is Lord Black to you, Mr. Evans," Black growled nastily as he shoved his wand into its holster and sat back into his seat.

Salazar barely spared him a glance, though he so wished to coolly reply back with a, "And you may call me Lord Slytherin, so spare me your pompous airs." But he refrained and instead straightened. His head hurt and his body trembled with magical exhaustion. It had felt good to anger the man, gave him the adrenaline he needed to keep on his feet. Godric would have said he was dangerously close to acting like a Gryffindor. Salazar ruthlessly destroyed that thought. He focused on Dumbledore instead. "Disregarding my previous actions, I would like to inquire if you have any teaching positions available so I may earn my keep here. I have a mastery in Potions and herbalism, and I am knowledgeable in several other subjects," he stated calmly.

He was quickly starting to lose his composure. The magical exhaustion was taking a toll on his body. He raised a hand briefly then, stopping any replies. "I do not expect you shall come to a decision tonight. Even if you decide to cast me from here, I implore that you at least give me a room for the night. I have travelled a long distance to be here. And I suspect you have many more questions for me, but I ask that you save them for the morn." He did not want to make a fool of himself more than he already had.

There were several protests at Salazar's words. Most of those gathered wanted to interrogate him further. But Dumbledore raised a hand. He could see the exhaustion that the stranger was hiding so well. "I will have a house elf prepare a room for you. In the meantime, I have one final question for you before you retire."

Salazar did not look too pleased, but acquiesced so gave his nod of consent. But when Dumbledore bluntly asked his opinion on the war, he could only shake his head in confusion. "Pardon me… but war? What war do you speak of? I have spent many years in seclusion while I earned my mastery so I am afraid that I am largely unaware of current affairs of our world." Perhaps he should have done his research beforehand. But then, hindsight really could not change the current moment.

He was aware of the suspicious looks that were sent his way, but this was not something he could pretend to know. He was an expert liar but even he knew when the truth would serve him better.

It was after a few moments of silence that a younger man with fiery red hair spoke up. Salazar rather wished he hadn't. A young man with a brazen sense of foolish courage. He seemed to think higher of himself then he likely was. "Voldemort is a madman that is trying to kill all the muggles and anyone else who has supposedly dirty blood. He has many purebloods on his side because he's finishing the shit that Slytherin started years ago. Says he's Slytherin's bloody Heir or something."

Blessed Magic, the boy was crass! But that was not what he focused on. Salazar could not stop himself from pinching the bridge of his nose. "You mean to tell me that this war is over blood supremacy?" Would the wizarding world never learn? But what upset him was that they thought he had started it all. And maybe it was the exhaustion talking, maybe the time travel had addled his brain, but he could not let that stand. "While I was traveling the world before I secluded myself to my studies, I stumbled upon a rare artifact in old wizarding ruins: one of the journals kept by Salazar Slytherin himself." He had written a few, so it was not a complete lie. "It took me some time to translate the dialect, but I was able to make sense of most of it. While most of it mentions obscure spells and rituals, there are a few personal notes. One of which is he laments the lack of a wife to bear him an Heir. He does also mentions a brother." He continued to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to stave off a building headache. "So if this Voldemort is the Heir of Slytherin, he's got the wrong Slytherin."

There was stunned silence by the end of his little speech. Salazar ignored it. "And if these purebloods have delusions of magical supremacy, then they are complete buffoons who need a proper lesson in magic. Yes, certain magicks can be passed down through families, but it is not the purity of blood that determines how much power one has." He quickly cut himself short and closed his eyes warily. He had realized he had started to go off into his lecture mode, as Godric had liked to call it. "I apologize for that. I am in much need of rest, so I hoped my answer pleased you." Really though, magic had nothing to do with blood! Godric was mundane born and he was one of the most powerful wizards of the age. His own only grief against mundanes was that they feared what they did not understand. He had seen many children that had died at the hands of their parents because of this, parents believing their children to be devils or some other such nonsense. He only hated the mundane mindset, not the mundanes themselves! But maybe things had changed in this time; maybe the mundanes were more accepting. Even if they were not, it did not make wizards better than them.

Salazar scowled briefly before quickly clearing his expression. So this Voldemort character… even if he had been descended from him somehow, the man would have been no Heir of his. But speaking of… if the man was descended from the Slytherin line through Cayden, then he had some power over him as Head of the family. A little ritual and he could disown the man from the Slytherin family. That meant that if the man had the parseltongue trait, then he could take it away as it was a family gift. Magic was so very useful at times… And though Salazar wasn't particularly fond of wars, he was no stranger to them.

Dumbledore picked up his goblet and took a sip, unaware of Salazar's musings. He then let out a weary sigh, looking all of his years in that moment. "Yes, thank you. It gives a great deal to think about," he said before he sighed again. "As young Ronald said, we are battling against the one known as Lord Voldemort." He paused as several around them cringed as they had before when the redheaded man had said it. Salazar ignored them and focused on the information he was getting about the most current war of the Wizarding world. "Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, but he has assumed the role of a Dark Lord. His followers are known as Death Eaters." Dumbledore paused, seemingly thinking about how he would continue.

He was interrupted though when a woman in a grey dress and white apron stood before she hurried over to Salazar. "Oh, no you don't! I know symptoms of magical exhaustion when I see them! And those robes may be pristine, but I can see the bruises just beneath that collar of yours. It is not my business to know the circumstances of what was obviously an intense duel, but what sort of Healer would I be if I stood by and did nothing?"

Salazar was struck by just how much like Helga this woman was. The scolding as she tutted about exhaustion, the way she hovered and mother henned him. But that brought back memories of her rejection, the way she refused to look at him. How disappointed she looked… He quickly yanked his arm out of the healer's hand. "Do not touch me again without my express permission, woman. I do not need your infernal coddling." He sent her a glare before he turned to the Headmaster. "The room, if you would." Salazar counted his blessings when the elderly man called a House elf to escort him to his room. He turned on his heel gracefully, his robes flaring out in the dramatic motion that came so naturally to him.

Once outside the doors to the Hall, he paused to listen. He wanted nothing more than to go to bed, but he could wait a moment to hear what they said of him. The House elf wrung his hands nervously, but obeyed Salazar's orders to stay quiet. As he stood outside the doors, he could hear the staff inside start to argue with the Headmaster. "We do not know where he comes from, Headmaster! And given this damn war, we bloody well can't just let him stay here! So what if the castle let him in? He could have tricked it somehow!" Salazar recognized the redhead's voice.

"I don't know, Headmaster. He obviously has many secrets, and he's a bit odd, but I think he's genuine. He has the look of a lonely man. I don't think he'll do any harm… but it wouldn't hurt to keep him under close watch, wouldn't it? Besides, you had said you were having trouble finding a replacement Defense professor or Potions professor," a young male spoke up.

"Yes, it is an excellent point, Mr. Zabini," Dumbledore's voice replied. Salazar turned on his heel then and let the House elf lead the way, never knowing he had missed a large part of the conversation.

"He reminds me of Harry…"

"How can you say that, Hermione? That man, Evans, is a git! Besides, he's far too old to be Harry. And Harry would never call Sirius a dog!"

"Ron is right, Hermione," Sirius' rough voice spoke up. "And as much as I love him, Harry was an awkward and tiny little teen. Scrawny… Evans, the bastard, is much taller and reminds me of a bloody arrogant Pureblood."

"He has the same eyes…" Hermione spoke again.

Ron snorted. "Harry had glasses… besides, Evans' eyes aren't warm like Harry's. They're not even that same colour eyes! Evans… his eyes are kinda scary actually. Like they don't fit in his young face."

There was a scrapping sound as a chair slid across cobblestone. "I don't want to talk about my godson any longer. Especially if you're going to start comparing him to that bastard of a stranger." That was the end of that conversation as soft apologies could barely be heard.

Unaware of the end of the conversation, Salazar stalked the familiar halls after the House elf. As he walked, he took in the paintings and the tapestries. During his time there had been many tapestries and a few statues. The sheer number of paintings made his lips curl in his disgust. What had they done to his poor school? The corridors were crowded with all of the paintings, and he could imagine that things did not stay secret in the school for long. He had seen how the paintings moved after all.

After some time he eventually ended up on the fifth floor where the house elf showed him to a room that was behind the painting of a withered tree. The house elf quickly bowed and then disappeared, leaving Salazar to wonder how he was supposed to get into his room.

"Do you have the password, sir?" A soft voice suddenly spoke up, startling Salazar from his thoughts. A young girl had hopped out of the tree and was staring at Salazar from the frame. She was dressed in a gown that was not unlike the ones that Helga had used to wear.

Frowning, Salazar tilted his head. "I was told that this was where my room was at. Was I misled by the house elf?" He asked tiredly. He was in no mood to be run around in circles!

The girl smiled then and shook her head. "So you are the one who will be staying here. If you wish, please state the password that you would like to use. I will then let you into your rooms." She settled herself against the tree and waited for Salazar to respond. "I am Marilyn, by the way." She spoke up suddenly before falling silent once more.

Salazar was quiet for a time before he nodded his head, deciding on a password. "As an áit," he spoke clearly before the girl nodded her head and then the painting swung forward to reveal a door. Opening it up, Salazar conceded that the paintings were useful for one thing at least. But it made him wonder how else the castle had changed. He was going to have to go exploring at some point. Especially to the dungeons, if he could escape inquisitive eyes. He wanted to go to his old chambers. They had likely been sealed at his departure so he was sure that all of his possessions were still there. He just hoped the preservation charms were still working.

Looking around the room that he was currently in, he found himself in an old guest bedroom. It looked like it hadn't been used in years, but it was clean and free of dust. Satisfied, he walked over to the window to take in the familiar view. It was calming… but he had need of sleep so he could not spend too much more time on his feet. So going over to the wardrobe then, he pulled off his cloak and set it inside. Going over to the bed then, Salazar sat down so he could pull of his boots. A good nap was in order before dinner was called and where his future here would be decided. However, he had one small thing to take care of. It should not take too much energy, so he did not have to worry about his magical exhaustion. Rolling up the sleeve of his tunic, he then drew one of his knives. Bringing it to his wrist, he clenched his jaw as he slid the sharp blade through his flesh. Once his blood started to drip down his hand and to his fingers, he coated the tip of his wand with the red substance. Tracing a quick rune into the air then, he intoned, "Mé, Salazar Slytherin, Ceann an Teaghlaigh Theach na Slytherin, fretech leis seo an ceann Tom Marvolo Riddle."

There was a ripple and then Salazar cast a quick spell to close up his wound. Satisfied, he placed his wand aside. But he was blindsided by a sudden searing pain from his forehead. Letting out a shocked cry of pain, Salazar bent over and grabbed his forehead. He could feel a vague impression of someone being positively furious, the anger making the pain in his forehead spike to levels he had never felt before. After a few moments, Salazar slumped into blessed darkness against his bed. At least he would have his rest…

((Page Break))

When he woke again, it was nearly evening. He remembered doing a simple disownment ritual before there was a great pain in his forehead. He was pretty sure that he had passed out, though he could not fathom why the ritual had reacted the way it did. The spell should not have had any sort of side effects. He would have to look into it. Perhaps he could go to the library. There would still be some time before the evening meal.

Groaning softly, Salazar blinked slowly as he felt the warmth of the dying sun on his face. Feeling disoriented, he stood up slowly and stumbled into the adjourning room where he knew he would find a basin of water. Surprised by the sink, it took him some time to figure it out as he wasn't familiar with the plumbing that had been installed some time after he had originally disappeared from Hogwarts over a thousand years ago. Looking up at the mirror then, he noticed the blood that caked the side of his face. Scowling, he quickly washed his face in the water before hissing as his forehead stung. Moving his hair out of the way, Salazar took in the angry red scar on his forehead. He could have sworn that the scar, shaped like a lightning bolt, had nearly faded away. It was usually hidden by his hair anyways so he had forgotten about it. But now it looked freshly cut and the edges raw. Scowling, he finished cleaning up his face before going back into the bedroom. Grabbing his wand, he cast a few cleaning charms over himself before grabbing his potions pouch. Opening it up, he grabbed a small jar and set the pouch aside. Opening the jar he had grabbed, he rubbed a little bit of the ointment on the cut above his eye. Putting the cork back in, he then put the jar away. It should help the cut heal. If not, then it would be yet another thing to look into. When had life gotten so complicated?

Pinching the bridge of his nose then, he closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. He had a horrible headache again…. He was going to have to brew more headache reliever when he had the chance. Standing up then, he made sure he had everything before he cast a quick charm that would keep his hair over his scar to hide it from view. He would rather not have attention drawn to it and have to explain what had happened since he did not know himself. After braiding the rest of his long hair to keep it out of the way, Salazar headed out of the room. His first stop would be the library. It took some navigating as a few things had changed over the years, but for the most part the layout was the same.

Stopping in front of the doors, Salazar took a moment as he traced his fingers over the designs carved into the heavy wood. It was worn now, but he could still remember the day they had put them in. Closing his eyes for a moment, he let himself sink into happy memories of a time that seemed so far away.

((First Flashback))

"It seems so plain." Godric had his hands on his hips as he surveyed the large wooden door in front of them. They had recently picked the rooms that would serve as the library. Inside, Rowena was making sure the shelves were being installed properly. Helga was nowhere to be seen, though Salazar suspected that she was out tending to her gardens again.

Salazar let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Godric… You brought me all the way up here to tell me that you think the doors to the library are too plain?" He spoke slowly, clearly irritated. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he gave his friend an annoyed look. But the grin that Godric gave him had him letting out a sigh and deflating slightly. He could never stay mad at Godric for long… Shaking his head, he then turned to look at the two curved doors that had yet to be set on their hinges. "Alright, fine. They are plain. Most doors are, Godric." He told the man, a small smirk on his lips.

In response, Godric rolled his eyes and let out a huff. "So you say." He said, waving his hands. "But it is the _library._ It will be a place where students can read books on almost anything they can think of. It will be a quiet place they can study or look up information they cannot remember from their classes. The library is going to be _special_. The doors have to be special as well. They have to say: Look at me, I guard something wonderful behind me!" Godric waved his arms, making Salazar have to dodge an errant hand. "These doors need to stand out so the students will not ever miss it!" He then deflated slightly and gestured towards the doors. "But they are not. They are dull and… and _boring_."

Salazar didn't reply. When Godric looked over to his friend, he took in the man's posture. The tall black haired man had one arm wrapped around his waist and his other hand over his mouth. The man's entire body was trembling just visibly. And then suddenly, an amused snigger escaped Salazar's lips. Godric looked affronted, but before he could say anything else Salazar couldn't take it anymore and broke out into loud laughter. "You… You…" He tried to say, but only dissolved into more laughter.

After a good few minutes of laughter, Salazar finally calmed himself and was able to straighten. He found Godric pouting at him, a light blush across his cheeks because he had been the victim of Salazar's amusement. Chuckling again, Salazar placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "For all that the door is dull and boring… things are never boring with you around, my friend." He teased with his face completely straight as he said it. Smirking then, he looked towards the doors. "But I do concede your point. So what shall we carve into the doors?" He asked, pulling out his wand. He suddenly looked thoughtful before he gained a look of concentration. Lifting his wand, he cast a silent spell while focusing on the image he had in his mind. Wood started to curl away from the door near the top and around the curve of the wood. When Salazar finally stopped his spell, there were runes carved into the top. Panting, he lowered his wand. He looked pleased with himself.

Stepping closer, Godric craned his head slightly to read the words that had been carved in. Finally, he grinned. "What a splendid idea! Extra protection against fire and such. Rowena will be pleased," the man said as he drew out his own wand. He concentrated before casting his own spell. Again, wood chippings fell away from the door as Godric worked at it. When he finished, he lowered his wand as well. "That takes a lot more concentration than I thought," The man grumbled before smirking slightly in imitation of Salazar.

Said dark wizard ignored the imitation and instead eyed the doors before he sneered playfully. "Lions? How predictable… what _is _your obsession with those exotic creatures?" He said before casting the spell himself, carving in snakes that curled around the mirrored rearing lions that Godric had created.

Snorting then, Godric rolled his eyes. "I could say the same thing for you, my friend," he said as he eyed the carving in front of them. "We should probably add in eagles… you know, for Rowena. They are her favorite animal after all, and I am sure that she would want to be included." He cast the spell again, creating eagles in flight that hovered over the images of the lions. He looked satisfied.

Salazar then rolled his eyes. "You cannot forget Helga." He reprimanded playfully before casting the spell again, carving in the image of a badger on each door so the creature was resting beneath the paws of the lion, stretched out and waiting. He lowered his wand, panting slightly at the work it took to carve something so intricate. But he had to admit… the carving had turned out pretty well. And there was something of each of them that would be forever carved into the wood. He quickly cast a preserving charm, locking the images in place. Chuckling then, he turned to Godric. "We should get the doors hung into place before Rowena throws a fit," he said in a conspiratory whisper.

"Throw a fit, would I?" An amused voice said behind them, making the two young men spin around quickly at having been caught. Behind them, Rowena had her hands on her hips and had an eyebrow risen as she gave the two of them a stern look. Glancing over to the doors then, she appraised them before nodding her head. "I suppose they will do," she spoke in a haughty tone of voice, though she had a pleased glint in her eyes. "Get them put into place, will you? The both of you can then help me get the shelves up before you decide to create any more havoc on the poor doors of the castle."

The groans of the two men were drowned out by Rowena's laughter as she made her way back into the library. Helga suddenly brushed past, giggling softly as she had seen the whole thing.. Going over to Rowena, she chatted happily with the other woman as the two of them waited for Godric and Salazar to join them. Outside, both of the males grumbled as they set the doors onto their hinges.

((End Flashback))

Pulling his hand back, Salazar sighed before pushing the doors open with just a light touch. He rubbed at his chest absently before looking around in surprise at just how many books there were. A greedy glint then entered his eyes and he headed over to the nearest bookshelf. There was so much to read… he could spend a very long time in here. Pulling his hand back suddenly though, he frowned briefly. He had to restrain himself. First, he needed to look up information about current events, anything he could get his hands on. Pulling out his wand then, he waved it in a sharp oval above his head. "Stair ó céad bliain ó shin a chur i láthair," Salazar ordered, visualizing the spell that he wanted. It was a literary summoning spell that was really quite useful in libraries. It would summon every book that contained information outlined by the specified boundaries set.

After about a minute, several books came whizzing at him and then piled neatly on the table nearby. Pleased, Salazar walked over and then cast another spell over them to levitate them behind him. Heading towards the end of the library, he then looked around. Frowning, he noticed that many of the private reading rooms were sealed. Perhaps they had been forgotten about? Shaking his head, he decided to leave them be and sat down at a nearby table instead. Pulling the closest book to him then, he opened it up and started reading.

He didn't know how long he spent reading, but a house elf interrupted him as he was in the middle of reading about the Ministry and recent laws that it had made. "Master… Master Evans?" The poor creature squeaked, looking afraid to interrupt the man who was reading. Raising his head, Salazar looked over to it and raised an eyebrow in question. The house elf's ears lowered and he wrung his hands nervously. "Ah… Pippy was asked to tell Master Eolas that dinner is ready…"

Salazar nodded his head curtly and stood up. With a wave of his wand, he sent most of the books back to their proper shelves. Gathering up two books that were left, he shrunk them and tucked them into his pocket to look over more later. He then looked down to the house elf. "Alright, then. You may go now, Pippy." He spoke sternly, but not unkindly.

His features set in a light scowl; he swiftly made his way down to the Great Hall. Striding through the doors, his eyes took in the entirety of the hall before he made his way towards the staff table. There were a few individuals there, a few he recognized from earlier that morning. The one who had been introduced as Snape was sitting in his customary chair. Scowling deeply for a brief moment, Salazar then quickly cleared his expression before sitting down in a different seat. He had to remember that things were different here. It was still his Hogwarts, but it wasn't the same as the one he remembered from what was just days ago for him.

He came out of his thoughts as Dumbledore smiled from his seat. "Hello, Eolas. Wonderful for you to join us. You missed lunch… did you find your room comfortable enough?" The man asked, sipping at his juice. He could see the slight pain in the man's eyes, though he was otherwise hiding it very well. "Are you alright?" He asked curiously, setting down his goblet.

Salazar looked over with a frown. "My accommodations were fine. As your Healer so aptly saw, I am recovering from magical exhaustion. I slept most of the morning and midday away before spending the rest of the time in the library once I had found it. No place quite has a library like Hogwarts. You will have to excuse my rudeness for missing the midday meal." He said tightly before looking back over to his food. "I am fine, thank you. However, if you do not mind, I would rather like directions to the potions lab." He picked up a piece of meat before placing it in his mouth. The different food was going to take some time getting used to. Frowning, he chewed before swallowing. Resisting the urge to rub his temples, Salazar continued to eat while ignoring the conversation around him. Most ignored him in return, but there were a few that attempted to strike up a conversation. Salazar just was not in the mood to want to socialize.

Finishing up his meal then, Salazar was about to ask the Headmaster about his decision when the doors to the great hall flew open with a bang. A man he did not recognize stumbled in. "Dumbledore!" The man called out to the headmaster, swaying and then nearly falling over as he spoke. At seeing the man, Dumbledore immediately stood and rushed over to the man's side.

Back at the table, Salazar gave the individual an appraising look. "Cruciatus." He finally said, recognizing the signs. "He's been under the influence of the spell for quite some time." Standing up then, he pulled a vial from his pouch at his side and then walked at a more sedate pace to the man who was now on the floor. Uncorking the vial, he held it out. "Take this. It will help with the damage done by the spell." He told the man, watching sternly until the man finally caved in and took the potion. Immediately, his shaking started to calm and some colour returned to his cheeks.

"Who are you?" The man asked with a frown, still in his position on the ground. His eyes were wary and shadowed. Salazar noted many clues about the young man. He was likely raised in a wealthy household, but now things had turned. He had the vestiges of aristocracy, but was dirty and wore tattered robes.

Salazar looked him over with a critical eye. "Eolas." He replied shortly before narrowing his eyes slightly. "Deatheater? I recognize the robes from a picture in one of the books I read in the library. The mask too." He stepped back and looked over to Dumbledore for an explanation. He did not want to get into any wars… but he would not let his castle go undefended. That was the one thing he would protect since it was the only thing he had left in this time. He looked Dumbledore over then. "He is a spy for you and your little organization." He saw the surprise in Dumbledore's eyes and waved an unconcerned hand. "It mentioned your Order in one of the books, how it had fought against Voldemort in the first war. I assumed you would have reestablished it for the current affairs."

Dumbledore helped the young man up and shook his head. "Yes, he is. I trust that you can keep that to yourself?" His voice was light, but his eyes carefully calculating. There was no helping it now, but he was going to make sure that Eolas would not mention it to anyone outside the castle. It only cemented his idea of keeping Eolas here at the castle where he could keep a better eye on the young man, and any sort of communication he may do to the outside.

Said man rolled his eyes and gestured absently. "I swear on my magic to never speak of…" He paused, raising his eyebrow at the man in question as he didn't know the man's name. Once he received his reply, he nodded his head and continued. "..Draco Malfoy's duties unless allowed by the man in question." He felt the magic shift before he raised an eyebrow. "Does that satisfy you?" His words were sarcastic, a hidden spark in his eyes. Everything was about the wording.

Dusting himself off, Draco frowned at the tall man that had given him the potion. He had never seen him before and the stranger looked to be a few years older than he. Shaking it off, he then turned to the headmaster. Normally, he would not speak in front of the others, but this was rather important. And he knew how binding Oaths were, so he immediately spoke once Dumbledore gave him a questioning look. "The Dark Lord…" He started out before shivering slightly. "He was very angry." He shook his head before allowing himself to be led to a seat by the old man. "He called a sudden meeting just after midday. There didn't seem to be any reason for the meeting and he was furious. Every single one of us was tortured. We were only just released. I came straight here. Something happened, but he won't tell us what it was. Whatever it was, it was important to him in some way." The young man quieted and closed his eyes.

To the side, Salazar narrowed his eyes and spoke up. "This dark lord of yours… he is deranged." He said finally, distaste coating his words. There was also a slight hissing undertone in his concealed anger. This man, this Voldemort, had been preaching in his name? He had been doing these despicable acts in his name? This was what he was most furious about. Then for the man to torture his followers, all just because he was angry? Something had to be done, or all will fail. Perhaps that was why he was here. Magic worked in strange ways after all. Perhaps he was meant to be here to put a stop to the madness.

Coming to a decision, Salazar turned on his heel. He had not wanted to get into this war, had wanted to find a way back home instead. But now he had no choice. Well, he had a choice but he knew what the better one was. He could try to go back to his own time to stop Cayden from ever having children, but who knew what that would do to the timeline? No, the best thing to do was to get involved in the war. His reputation was at stake as well, though it would be harder to change. Perhaps if he helped be rid of Voldemort, the others might be more inclined to listen to him when he told them that he was Salazar Slytherin, sent to the future through some sort of magical accident. That is, if he ever decided to actually tell them.

"Dumbledore." He spoke suddenly, looking over his shoulder at the man. "I would like to know if you would accept my inquiry to become the potions professor in this establishment." He then tilted his head slightly, mentally speaking with the castle. As a founder, he had a few privileges that no one else had and he had a House to return to its former glory. And though he had yet to see just how badly the years had treated his House, he knew that he was in for a long journey. And to do that, he needed to be the Head of House. If Dumbledore accepted, then the duties of House Head would be transferred to him.

Not aware of Salazar's silent communication with his school, Dumbledore gave the young man a smile. "Yes, I have come to a decision. I would very much like it if you would take over the position of Potions professor, provided you can show proof of your potions mastery."

Salazar gave a smile. "Of course, Headmaster. That will not be a problem at all. I accept the position," he stated, knowing that it would trigger the school rules that had been set into place and then influenced by him in his prodding.

So when Snape suddenly made a surprised noise, Salazar felt pleased. He said nothing though and merely turned slightly to give the man a questioning look. Snape ignored him though and suddenly scowled. "Headmaster." He quickly went to Dumbledore's side and leaned in. Salazar could not hear what was being said, but he knew that the man was probably telling the Headmaster that he no longer felt the House wards that the Head would have control over. There were also a few privileges that only a Head could have, but he wouldn't have those any longer. Instead, Salazar felt the sudden hum in the back of his mind that alerted him to the fact that Hogwarts had transferred the Head magic. Ah, how he had miss the feel of it even for the few days for him it had been missing.

But as the wards transferred, Salazar made a small show of placing his hand against his head and giving a small grimace. It was painful to have the awareness snap into place, though he had been prepared for it. As he cradled his head, he watched as gold script scrawled its way through the air in front of them. They read: 'The duties of Head of Slytherin House are hereby transferred to Potion's Professor Eolas through his acceptance of the duties of Professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' The words shimmered in the air for a moment before fading away. Removing his hand from his head, Salazar sighed. "Head of Slytherin House? I had wondered why magic settled in my mind. Does this happen often?" He asked as he looked over to Dumbledore questioningly. "Can Hogwarts actually do that?" He knew it could of course, having written the spell himself. If a more suitable Head could be found, then the transference would take place. As founder of Slytherin House, there was no one better than he. He was just thankful that he could convince Hogwarts to use his chosen name instead of his actual name, hence the prodding he had done and to makd sure the spell was still in place after all this time.

His thoughts were broken by the headmaster. "It is not impossible…" Dumbledore spoke slowly. "I have never seen such an occurrence before, but I have heard of such a thing happening in the past. I do remember the rule being written down in one of the rulebooks for the school." He had a calculating look in his eyes, but Salazar easily ignored it. Instead, the man nodded tightly with a thoughtful look on his face.

Salazar turned back around. "If you do not mind then… I would like a room closer to the Slytherin dormitories so I can better get to know my House. They are in the dungeons if the book I read was correct, yes?" He said without turning back around. "If there is a room for the Head, let Master Snape keep them. Even if Hogwarts has seen fit to transfer the responsibility of Headship onto me for whatever reason, I will not turn him out of his rooms." He glanced over his shoulder. "You will find me in the library if you have need to speak with me. Master Snape, I would like to request the itinerary of your classes in the past." He would have to create quizzes for the students to see where their knowledge was at, but it would be a good idea to have a basic starting point based on what they had been taught. "Of course, I will give you proof of my mastery just as you wished."

But before he could leave, he was halted once more. "Dumbledore! You cannot just let him do this!" Snape suddenly burst out, the man's anger palpable. Salazar stopped in his retreat and turned once more to face them, an irritable sigh pacing his lips. He had barely managed to get out of the great hall yet. Was he ever going to be able to escape? Salazar thought this with annoyance as he raised an eyebrow at the previous Slytherin Head of House. "I cannot believe that you will let him just waltz in here and let him become a Head of all things! I was going to tolerate him being a professor, but this is going too far! We have no idea who he is, if he is lying, or what he is capable of! He should be kicked out of Hogwarts, not allowed to burrow in so deeply!"

The dour man's words struck a chord in Salazar and the man stiffened, his betrayal and banishment from Hogwarts still clear in his mind. Clenching his jaw, he then narrowed his eyes at the man. "You want to know who I am? Ask questions of me rather than gossiping behind my back! And what can I do about the castle deciding to choose me for the Head over you? From why I gather from the Headmaster's words, it is from ancient magic that was set in place long ago. Do you think that I chose this? I cannot say why the ancient castle sees me as a better Head." He easily entwined lies with truth, knowing the best lies were based on fact. "And if you want to know so badly what my abilities are, then why not challenge me to a duel or test me on my knowledge of potions?" He sneered at the bat like man, but Snape only silently bared his teeth in anger.

Salazar turned on his heel once more and quickly strode away, finally leaving the great hall. He was fuming, but managed to keep his emotions under wraps. He needed to blow of stream, angry and feeling a little hurt. Why was it that everyone wanted to kick him out of his one true home? Letting his feet lead him, he suddenly found himself standing outside of a familiar door. Quickly ducking inside, he found himself in a not so familiar room. There were sinks in the center of the room, similar to the ones that had been in the guest bedroom. Someone had since remodeled… Frowning, he quickly cast a privacy ward before hissing softly. He hoped that they had not found his entrance. Even with the remodeling, there were spells in place but perhaps those had faded with time.

He felt relief when a rumbling started and then one of the sinks lowered into the floor. Hissing softly again, more of the sinks lowered and stairs began to form. Pleased, Salazar quickly descended and closed the entrance behind him. Heading into the first chamber then, he frowned when he came upon the skeletons of various animals. It seemed his basilisk had not gone into hibernation. Although, if Voldemort had been a parselmouth, it was possible that he had managed to find his way into his secret chamber. Not at all pleased by this, Salazar walked further along the tunnel before coming to the cave in. Concerned, he wondered if his chamber was still intact. Ignoring the brief, and out of place, thought about how a memory spell gone wrong can create an explosion, Salazar waved his wand. He worked for a good amount of time clearing the passage and stabilizing the walls before finally moving forward. Coming to a door, he hissed softly for it to open before climbing into the main chamber. Almost immediately he was hit with a smell of lingering decay. Choking in surprise, his eyes widened as he took in the image of his beloved basilisk a mere carcass on the floor.

Hurrying forward, he took in the damage before scowling slightly. Who could have done such a thing? If it was Riddle… Salazar's thoughts broke off before he suddenly grabbed onto his forehead in pain as he was assaulted by the hazy vision of facing off against a lunging basilisk with only a sword. There was then a burning pain in his arm, exactly where he knew there to be a large round scar. When the image disappeared as quickly as it had come, Salazar was left a little dazed and very confused. What was that? Perhaps a latent memory contained in the walls of the chamber and it was merely replaying? No, that didn't explain the correlation with his scar. But he couldn't ever remember facing off against a basilisk before… right? It was yet another thing that he would have to look into.

Shaking off the lingering feeling, Salazar rubbed his forehead with a slight scowl. His headache was just getting worse and worse. Turning to the carcass then, he assessed the damage again. He was disappointed and a bit angry that the creature was dead, but he decided that he could not let it go to waste. With a few preservation charms he stopped the decay before he set to the task of harvesting parts. Many of them were invaluable in potion making. Basilisk hide was a good material to work with as well so perhaps he could make himself some armour if he was going to find himself in a war. What that would have to be for another time. The venom would best be harvested now.

Summoning some jars, Salazar carefully set himself to the arduous task of collecting the basilisk venom. It was a slow process as the venom didn't mix well with most magic. It was also very lethal and dangerous so he had to be careful about how he handled it. Once collected however, he sealed the jars with several charms. Feeling pleased, he placed the jars into his pouch before standing back. He could finish collecting parts later. The conditions of the chamber had helped slow the rate of decay, but it had started to set in. It would be a time consuming process to pick through the useable organs and he knew he couldn't disappear for too long, or they would begin to question him even further. It had been risky enough to come to his chamber. With that in thought, Salazar headed out of the chamber and sealed the entrance behind him. Making sure that no one saw him, though he could sense a ghost nearby, Salazar quickly left the room and headed towards the library once again. He needed its calming atmosphere before bed if he could not risk staying too long in his Chamber.

But he was only perhaps halfway there before he suddenly wavered and leaned against the nearby wall. His nap had done little for his magical exhaustion and the headache really wasn't helping either. He had tried to ignore it, but maybe it was time that he set aside his pride. Rubbing his eyes with his fingers, Salazar took a few deep breaths before he straightened. He needed to get some relief. And the only safe way he was going to get that was by a good potion. He knew a strong one that thankfully did not take long to make, having some up with the concoction himself. So turning on his heel, he headed down towards the dungeons. Though tempted to go to his private lab, Salazar entered the one that was kept open for the staff. He was sure it was mentioned in one of the books he had skimmed through, so it would not be a stretch to tell Dumbledore he had learned of the room that way if he was asked. He had asked about a potions lab earlier, but could also wave it off about asking for a more private place to brew.

Opening the door to the lab once he reached it, he gave the room a cursory glance as he headed over to grab a cauldron from a spot near the door. Not as good as his own cauldrons, but they would have to do. Luckily, only a standard cauldron was needed in the creation of the potion. Salazar brought the cauldron over to one of the desks and set it up. Once satisfied, he tapped it with his wand. Immediately, it was filled a fourth of the way up by purified water by drawing it from the air.

After creating a small fire beneath the cauldron, Salazar went over to the ingredients cupboard and opened it up. Skimming through the jars, he found himself pleased that at least the previous potions master had been able to keep the ingredients organized. Heading over to the table where he had set up, Salazar then immediately started to prepare ingredients as the water heated. He kept a close eye on the water as he worked so once it was at a temperature just before boiling, Salazar carefully sprinkled in the first powdered ingredient. Stirring it once counterclockwise, he pulled the spoon back out and set it aside before he returned to preparing the rest of the ingredients.

One by one he added the ingredients, instinctively knowing exactly when to go on to the next step. Godric had often teased him, saying that he could have made complex potions in his sleep. It had always irritated, and secretly pleased, Salazar. Breaking out of his thoughts then, Salazar added in the last ingredient before stirring in carefully an exact number of times. He quickly cast an immediate cooling charm while dousing the flame beneath the cauldron to set it. Bottling the potion, he placed three vials into his pouch before downing the fourth one. As he let the concoction work, Salazar leaned forward against the table. He closed his eyes and relaxed slightly, never once losing awareness of his surroundings. Once the pain faded away, he nearly allowed himself a sigh in relief. It was very late now… a good night's rest was in order that would banish the rest of his pain. The brewing process had helped calm him in place of the library.

"Was that to your approval?" He said suddenly though, brushing away thoughts of sleep for a few moments. Lifting his head, Salazar turned his gaze over to the door where Snape had entered some time near the beginning. "I knew you would come as soon as I felt I had tripped the wards you put in place." Salazar commented lightly before starting to clean up his work space. Once done, he turned to look at the other man again. Leaning against the long counter, he was the image of poised grace. "It is a relatively simple potion, but did it meet your approval?" He knew better than to admit to creating it as first off, Snape would likely not believe him.

Snape sneered softly and brushed past before going over to his desk. "It was adequate," he stated making Salazar resist the urge to roll his eyes. It was like conversing with one of his younger years. But he always got through to them in the end. It only took a bit of patience and stress relieving safely away from his students.

Snorting at his thoughts, a human emotion he allowed himself, Salazar pushed away from the counter and moved closer to Snape. "I would like your notes, Master Snape. I will then leave you be and you will not have to deal with me the rest of the night," he offered, going over to the man's desk. Snape tilted his head with a sneer before nearly shoving several notebooks into Salazar's direction. Taking them, the founder raised an eyebrow. "Touchy," he said shortly before turning and heading towards the door. He paused though and looked over his shoulder, a deceptive show of having his back to the man. Salazar was not as vulnerable as he pretended to be. "I am sure that you were a good House Head, Master Snape. And I know that it means your students will have trusted you. Especially since they have no one else to turn to. I would not mind it if they continue to go to you if they need it. I will not break that trust. However, I only ask that you defer to me if it threatens the well-being of any of our students. They are my responsibility after all," he said before slipping out the door and not even waiting for a response. But Snape said nothing else and didn't try to stop his departure.

Finally heading towards the bedroom that he had originally shown to, Salazar entered after speaking the password. He made his way over to the desk to drop off the journals first so he could go over them later. He had plenty of research ahead of him and much digging to do. He needed to see for himself the state of affairs in the wizarding world, beyond the research that he had already started on. He had learned some of the history after he had left, but now he needed to turn to more current affairs. Also, on a separate topic, it would also help if he could obtain some new clothes. That part would be more difficult as he had no money. He might have something of value in his old rooms, but that was if he could get to them later.

Sighing, Salazar pulled of his clothes until he was left only in the loose trousers he had been wearing. Making sure that everything else was neatly put away, he then headed into the adjourning room to wash his face in the sink. Inspecting his scar in the mirror, he then frowned and decided he needed to put more ointment on it. Pulling back then, he looked around for the chamber pot. Not finding one, he called for a house elf. "I order you, house elf, that you may not tell anyone in this castle, by any means, about what I am about to ask you."

Pippy nodded his head nervously, knowing he wouldn't be able to go against the wizard's orders. He was surprised then when the wizard asked him, in a tight and displeased voice, what the functions were of the objects in the bathroom. In a squeaky voice, Pippy hurried to explain what the toilet did and what the shower did. He had a blush on his cheeks, but was curious as to why the wizard didn't know how to use such a basic tool. The house elf knew better than to ask though, so quickly disappeared once the wizard sent him away. Salazar himself was not very happy about asking such things. During his time, no such things had existed. Water to wash was conjured into basins and chamber pots were used that house elves would empty. But he would admit that he enjoyed the remodeling. It certainly made things easier at the very least. Especially the item that the house elf had called a 'toilet'…

Washing up once everything was said and done, Salazar then headed back into the bedroom. Grabbing his wand, he cast a few enchantments and simple wards that would alert him to anything that might happen. He barely had enough magic left without falling to dangerously low levels, but Salazar felt that they were necessary. He was far too paranoid not to cast such spells. But once they were in place, Salazar gratefully sunk into the bed and pulled the covers over his body. Closing his eyes, it didn't take him long to drift off into dreams of stealing golden eggs from dragons and battling against large stone statues.

((End Chapter))

**So? How was it? Please take the time to review! Edit: I took out the whole amnesia part for those who remember. I just don't think it flowed right and wasn't Salazar. So… is it any better?**

**Gaelic Translations:**

"An bhfuil tú ag múinteoirí anseo?" (Are you teachers here?)

"Stair ó céad bliain ó shin a chur i láthair," (History ranging from one hundred years ago to present.)

"As an áit," (Out of place.)

"Mé, Salazar Slytherin, Ceann an Teaghlaigh Theach na Slytherin, fretech leis seo an ceann Tom Marvolo Riddle." (I, Salazar Slytherin, Head of the Family House of Slytherin, hereby disown Tom Marvolo Riddle.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Edit: As like the previous chapters, I have made some extensive updates. I hope you all enjoy whether this is your first time reading it or not. Tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own this… Do I need to keep telling you this?**

**Last Time:**

_Washing up, he then headed back into the bedroom. Grabbing his wand, he cast a few enchantments and simple wards that would alert him to anything that might happen. His magical core severely depleted by then, Salazar gratefully sunk into the bed and pulled the covers over his body. Closing his eyes, it didn't take him long to drift off into dreams of stealing golden eggs from dragons and battling against large stone statues that he called by the strange name 'chess pieces'._

**Chapter Three**

When he woke the next morning, Salazar found a headache pounding away in his skull once more. Irritated that it had returned again, he sat up slowly before absently hissing out a tempus spell. It was still early morning, but he wasn't surprised. He had long become used to waking in the early morning no matter how tired he was the night before. Climbing slowly out of bed then, Salazar grabbed his wand and cast a quick cleaning spell out of habit. He then went to use the adjacent bathroom, still not completely used to the whole contraption. It did have its uses, though. And it was definitely more sanitary than the chamber pots and privy holes he was accustomed to.

Entering into the bedroom once more then, Salazar pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off some of the pain. He was going to need another headache relieving potion… And he had a strong feeling that he was going to need more of them for a while. It likely had to do with how depleted his magical reserves were. He was going to need to refrain from even basic magic for awhile. Which meant paying more attention to what his habits were… and he so tried _not_ to be a man of habit. It was the quickest way to get oneself killed, keeping to habits. Being a wizard he had come to rely on magic and so, realizing this fault, he knew that he would have to work hard to correct it.

Going over to the dresser, he opened up the drawer and pulled out his little bag of potions. Fishing out a headache reliever, he sniffed it to make sure that it was the one he needed – and hadn't been tampered with as even though he had just made it the night before one could not be too careful – before downing it with a grimace. Heading over to the small table in the room then, he sat down and brought Snape's journals closer to him. Salazar opened them up, and spent an estimated two hours immersed in their contents. From the man's writing, he could tell that he was very good at what he did. But Snape was not a professor. Salazar knew well that a professor needed a firm hand when it came to teaching magic to young children, potions most of all because of their volatile potential even if they started out with the most innocent of concoctions. But Snape did not like children, it was obvious from his comments and his teaching style. Snape seemed to be the type that would leave them to their own devices while keeping just enough attention on them to make sure nothing completely disastrous happened. He could imagine that he was going to have a hard time when the school reopened, changing the children's misconceptions about potions. And even the older years were going to need to be brought back to some basics. They were going to adore him for that, Salazar thought sarcastically. But they needed to understand why things worked the way they did. Perhaps he should start with the theory of potion components before they moved on to the actual brewing processes. It would give them a better foundation at least and perhaps help prevent accidents.

"_You always losw yourself in your thoughts, Salazar…" _A sudden voice hissed, making Salazar roll his eyes. The man didn't speak though, so the voice continued. "_Even to the point where you would forget food. Shouldn't you get some breakfast, you silly human?"_ Salazar finally sighed and pulled off the necklace that was around his throat. With a murmured spell, the chain transformed back into the form of his familiar Eolas. The creature shook himself out before leveling Salazar with a stare as his tongue flickered out to smell the air. "_I suppose I will be unable to speak with you while you are here?" _The snake spoke with a disinterested air.

Salazar nodded before standing. "_Yes… I am sure you heard the conversations before," _he said, stretching out his back. "_These people are in the middle of the war and are suspicious enough. I would rather not bring their attention further onto me. The current Headmaster is likely to keep a close eye on me." _He only felt relatively safe speaking in the room because he had already warded it. Anywhere else and he would be unable to speak to Eolas. With this current Dark Lord as his little brother's heir, he would have been able to speak parsel until his recent disowning. He doubted the ability was seen in a good light. He would need to hide it, and his status as a Dark wizard as he didn't need to be kicked out before he could even attempt to figure out a way home. If he did want to return home… what was left for him anyways? His friends had kicked him out for no good reason and without even hearing his side of the story. But maybe here he could make a difference… return his House to its former glory and figure out the answers to a few other mysteries. He also had seventeen days to prepare for the students' arrival. Salazar figured he could make his decision after he had prepared for his classes.

But breakfast was in order first so he dressed quickly and then left. Eolas slipped out after him and then into the shadows like he had done back in his own time. Knowing that his snake was safe and knew his way around, Salazar then headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Once there, he took his spot quietly and served himself some food. Currently, his main problem was going to be procuring money. If he could slip down to his old chambers, he now remembered that he had some gold stashed away that he could collect. Not to mention he had his old books and things. Perhaps he could tell Dumbledore that he was going to leave to retrieve his things… there were ways back into the castle without tipping off the Headmaster. Founder's privilege and all that. He would make plans for something. Especially come up with an excuse for the absence of his luggage when he first arrived. Perhaps he could just secretly retrieve his things and shrink them down into a trunk to put in his pocket. If asked, he could say he always had it with him.

Lifting his goblet to his lips, Salazar paused briefly as he watched a few bubbles rise through the liquid to the top. He frowned briefly before making a show of taking a drink while he only lightly swiped his tongue over the lip of the goblet. There was no foreign taste and no smell… a mild truth serum then. Veritaserum was nearly impossible to detect because it was odourless and tasteless. However, there was a similar potion that was just as hard to detect, but wasn't as powerful. It, however, frequently reacted with other liquids it encountered and so created harmless gas. This was the bubbles in his drink. A less observant man would not have noticed.

Salazar set down his goblet, his mind quickly whirring and running through options as he calmly continued to eat his breakfast. He was broken from his thoughts though when the Headmaster suddenly spoke up. "Did you sleep well the night before, Eolas?" He inquired of the new professor, a warm smile curving his lips.

Salazar turned slightly to face the older man and inclined his head. "I slept well enough. The chambers were adequate," he said lightly before turning back to his food.

Dumbledore wasn't put off by the subtle dismissal and merely continued to smile. "That is splendid! But I have to admit… I am curious," he trailed off for a moment before continuing to speak. "Did you truly have no knowledge of the current war?"

There was silence in the Great Hall for a moment before Salazar turned his head slightly to regard Dumbledore. He knew the potion they had tried to slip him was supposed to prod him to tell the truth. It was nearly impossible to lie while under its influence, but it didn't have the same side effects as Veritaserum. Instead, the potion gave the drugged individual the urge to tell the truth while slightly fogging the mind so the victim wouldn't think anything was out of the norm. The victim would be lead to believe that they wanted to reveal the truth all the while. Salazar figured he could use this to his advantage…

Setting down his utensils, he relaxed back in his chair somewhat. "I truly was unaware. I was raised in a small household. My father was paranoid after my mother's death when I was a child and so tutored me himself. Once I was old enough to study for my mastery, I secluded myself in a small cottage in the fens." He did have an unplottable piece of land there. It had been uninhabitable when he had been thrown out of Hogwarts, but he did still own it. Perhaps he should look into it. "My father had an extensive library that he allowed me access to and I had means to support myself so I could focus on my studies rather than the outside world. I did not even receive papers on current events."

Dumbledore looked pensive. "I am sorry, dear boy, but my curiosity is piqued. What led to your arrival here for asylum?"

Salazar hesitated as if he was fighting against the potion. He sighed then and gave in. "I had a potions accident. I came out uninjured, but my cottage was destroyed in the aftermath. I went to live with my father again. While there, we were attacked. My childhood home was destroyed and my father was killed. His last words to me were that I could find safety here at Hogwarts. I came straight here."

Salazar hoped that he would he released from anymore questions. But he was disappointed when Dumbledore smiled at him and asked another question, "And did you truly find a journal of Salazar Slytherin?

Salazar stood up slowly and rounded the table. "Yes. I found a chest buried in the fens, Salazar's journal inside it though I did not know it at the time. Upon translating it, I realized that it was the personal journal of the man. It has since been destroyed because of the explosion and resulting magical fire, but you are welcome to ask any questions about it. I may answer them," he told the Headmaster before shifting slightly. "But if you would excuse me, I have a few errands to take care of in preparation for my classes." Dumbledore excused him so Salazar took his leave and he returned to his room to grab his cloak before he walked out of Hogwarts. He needed to figure out why the wards hadn't reacted to him… Hogwarts seemed happy to see him, but the wards had not even budged. He would have thought that his former friends would have used the wards to ban him completely…

As he was leaving, Eolas came up to him. Salazar picked up his familiar and let him wrap around his shoulders. After making sure to illusion the snake so no one could see him, Salazar started off down the road towards Hogsmeade. As he walked, Eolas started hissing softly to him. "_That Headmaster is up to something. The others really do not trust you. They want to kick you out. And given that the castle appointed you as Head of your House again and it is such an evil House," _there was sarcasm in the snake's tone. "_They seem to think that you are an evil wizard. At least, a few of the men seemed to have that opinion. The others were more just concerned about you having any ulterior motives. All of them seemed to agree that Dumbledore shouldn't have let you roam out on your own and needed someone to tail you. Dumbledore just had that damn twinkle in his eye that I know means he's up to something. You saw it too, didn't you?"_ Salazar inclined his head, but didn't say anything for a moment.

"They didn't give me much information, so why worry? The only thing that really seems to be important is that Malfoy character," he mused out loud to himself in his own language, though he was still quiet. "And I cannot speak to anyone about it…" A small smirk curled over his lips before he glanced down at Eolas. "Ah, pardon me… I was just speaking my thoughts out loud," he spoke, earning a small hiss of amusement for his troubles.

Once in Hogsmeade then, Salazar apparated away. When he arrived, he was standing in the Black Forest that surrounded a good portion of the school. It was much larger and had a heavier air to it than he remembered from his time at the castle before. Shaking it off though, he made his way over to a small cave. Tracing a rune that was carved into the rock, he hissed a small password before watching as the entrance shimmered. Pleased, Salazar stepped inside. Resetting the wards once he was inside, he started to descend the spiral stairs. As he walked, he held out his hand and conjured a small blue flame to light the way.

When the stairs ended, there was a large wooden door that blocked the way. Luckily, the preservation charms were still in affect so it was easy to open once he had traced another rune and whispered the password. Closing the door behind him, he then silently walked the long path. When it ended, he was standing before a solid stone wall. This passageway, one only he knew about, came to an end in his dungeons. He had originally created it in case he needed to sneak his students out safely in case of an attack on the school. Now, he was using it to sneak back into the school so he could go to his old chambers.

Quickly finding the stone that had a small engraving on it, Salazar tapped it with his wand before watching as the stones started to slowly disappear until there was a doorway. Stepping through, he tapped his wand on the side of the archway, he watched it start to close before carefully making his way through the dungeons. He didn't want to set off any unknown wards that the old Head of House might have set up. Eventually, he stopped in front of a small alcove. Slipping inside, he found the small snake engraving before quietly hissing the password. The wall behind him slid open so he slipped inside before the door closed behind him.

Looking around, Salazar relaxed. The preservation charms were working for the most part… there was a good layer of dust, but that could be easily cleaned up. Later of course once his magical reserves were back to full power. It had been bad enough that he had to use a little bit of magic so he could see on his trek through the tunnel, not to mention his apparating. And he was going to have to do it again. At least it was a short distance so didn't use up much power.

Heading over to his wardrobe, he opened up the doors. From what he had observed, wizarding style had changed little over the years. It made him wonder if things had gone stagnant. But putting that aside, it made it easier on him because he wouldn't have to go out and buy new clothing. He could always say his father had had a fondness for traditional clothing. So with that in mind, he changed his garments so he was wearing a black tunic and breeches while he slipped a dark green robe over the top. Pulling on his boots then, he turned to look at himself in a mirror. Perfect… Salazar then started packing clothes into a special bottomless bag that Rowena had given him long ago. He tried not to think about that fact.

Once he had his clothes inside, he started packing away his books and a few other personal items. Putting the pack over his shoulder then, Salazar grabbed a small bag of coins. There was more than it appeared to be in the bag with a few nifty charms, but he knew the money wouldn't likely last him for long. He was going to have to look into a source of income, other than the salary he would receive as a professor of course. If he was going to stay in this time, he would need to eventually build himself a proper home on his land. He had not lied exactly when he said that there had been a potions accident at his cottage in the fens. He would need money for other things as well and a professor's salary would not be enough to start from scratch.

Once he was satisfied, Salazar left the way he came. And when he was back in the castle through the front doors, he walked to his new room. He would likely be transferred closer to the Slytherin Common room at some point, so he didn't bother to unpack completely. Instead, he called for a house elf to bring him some writing materials before he started working on material for his upcoming classes. He started out first by comparing Snape's journals to the ones he had brought from his own room. Then based on what he learned, he drew up some quizzes to give the students on their first day of classes with him. From what he could tell already, they were a bit behind where he would prefer them to be at. His standard for his students was much higher back home.

Eolas had slithered off sometime in the beginning, but now he came back and curled up on top of Salazar's papers. The man was not pleased and he reached out to remove the snake, but his familiar snapped at him. "_You silly human… do I have to be your babysitter, telling you when to eat? If you don't hurry, you will miss lunch."_

Salazar glared at the snake before standing up. "I was just leaving, I will have you know, before you decided to interrupt me anyways." He then turned and tucked his wand into its holster on his wrist. With a flare of his robes then, he marched out of the room and headed towards the Great Hall. His temper was short… a side effect of low reserves, no doubt. Sighing, Salazar rubbed his face before composing himself and continuing towards the Great Hall. Once there, he took his spot and started on his lunch while ignoring the glares and distrustful looks that he was receiving from the others.

But after a short time, the man next to him turned and held out his hand. "My name is Blaise Zabini," he said. "I heard that you are the new Head of Slytherin House. It was my old House when I was a student," he revealed, something that peaked Salazar's interest. Everyone else so far, besides the former Head of Slytherin House, seemed to be prejudiced against Slytherin House. Perhaps he could get more private information from the young man since he doubted that Snape would speak to him. The man was rather bitter after all as he had taken both his job as potion professor and position as Head of House. Perhaps it was understandable, but it still made it difficult to interact with the man.

Salazar glanced over before taking the man's hand. "Eolas Evans," he responded as he studied the dark skinned man. He appeared to be a few years younger than him. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He pulled his hand back before turning back to his meal. Once he was done, he stood up. "If you are not busy, Master Zabini, would you mind accompanying me to the Slytherin Common room? I have a few questions that I am sure you could give me the answers too," he said with a polite smile.

Zabini seemed to regard him for a moment, turning over his proposal in his head. Finally, the man stood up with a nod of his head. "I will take you up on that offer. I do not have anything to do until later in the afternoon," he said before making his way around the table after Salazar. Said man didn't miss the sudden twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes and he had to suppress a sigh. Dumbledore probably thought it would be the best way to gain information from him… by getting it through Zabini. Somehow, Salazar doubted the Headmaster would get anything he wanted. He could only hope that his Slytherins had taken his words to heart and continued to do so.

((Page Break))

Standing outside the entrance to the Slytherin Common room, Salazar was pleased to find that the entrance had not changed at all. There were no filthy, nosy portraits to have to deal with. Stroking the rune that was etched into the blank wall, he then spoke the current password that had been provided by Hogwarts, "Pureblood." He was going to have to change that as soon as possible.

"How did you know how to get in?" Zabini's curious voice spoke from behind him as he made his way into the common room.

Salazar looked around before heading over to the couches. Sitting down, he relaxed back. Things had changed somewhat, but the general layout of the room was still as it was. There was still the view into the Lake. He had always loved this feature for his Slytherins. It had taken a lot of work to figure out, but he had immensely enjoyed the results. He knew his Slytherins did as well. He rather hoped his new rooms would have a view as well. He was going to have to be rid of those silly paintings, though. Probably Dumbledore's idea for a spy into the Snake's Den. Snorting, Salazar shook his head before looking over to Zabini. "Privilege of being Head of House," he said with a smirk glancing around him again. "You decided to come with me… why?" He asked bluntly then, not looking at his companion. He had an air of disinterest about him.

"I will admit that I am curious. It is not a very Slytherin thing to admit to, but you are the Head of House. I may not trust you, but I do not completely distrust you. Hogwarts had to have had a good reason to pick you as the new Head of House. I want to figure out why, if I may be so blunt," was Zabini's calm reply.

Salazar couldn't help but chuckle. "You are a Slytherin, you say?" He mused, thinking about how Rowena would have probably liked the young man. But at that thought, Salazar quickly sobered up before inclining his head. "There is nothing wrong about being curious," he said then. "It is how you go about learning about your curiosity that proves yourself." Salazar was quiet then before he stood up to wander about the common room some, taking in the differences and the similarities from his time. "I cannot be the only one asking questions… a fair trade. Information for information?" He glanced over to Zabini. "Payment for asking questions of you."

Zabini regarded him for a moment before leaning back and shrugging his shoulders in an almost careless motion. "Alright," he said before pausing, as if searching for the question he wanted to ask. Finally, he tilted his head slightly and spoke. "You said that you had found, and translated, Salazar Slytherin's journal. What was the man like?" He had a disinterested, almost bored, look on his face. Salazar however spotted the brief flash of eagerness that went through the young man's dark eyes.

In response, Salazar chuckled before moving over to the nearest fireplace. He ran his fingers over the smooth stone before answering. "He was a complicated man," he said at last. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say. He had been expecting a question like this at some point, but not quite so soon. Sighing softly, he shook his head. "He kept to himself at times, but he always tried to help his students. Especially the Slytherins… I don't know how the Slytherin students are seen now, but in Salazar's time it was the home for those who had no other place. Of course, he enjoyed other traits, but his House contained many students who could turn to no one else." Salazar smiled faintly, thinking back on his students. If there was one thing he regretted, it was leaving them behind. "He taught them to fend for themselves."

Turning slightly then, he looked at Zabini with an expression that in no way gave away the betrayal he was still feeling. "Which brings me to my next question… How are the Slytherin students seen? What are they like? I have an idea of how Hogwarts used to be because of Salazar's journal, but I know very little of the more modern school." He moved back to his seat after eyeing a painting with distaste. They were _not _going to be staying in _his_ common room

"It is the opinion of the wizarding world at large that Slytherins are all budding Dark Witches and Wizards," Zabini spoke softly. "Not that I personally would say that it is a bad thing, but it is the general opinion that Dark Witches and Wizards are evil. Of course… some of it has a grain of truth when you count the Dark Lord and his followers, but it doesn't hold true for all," Zabini was looking at Salazar with a thinly veiled look of challenge, but Salazar only inclined his head as he waited for the young man to continue. Zabini did after a moment. "Most Slytherins come from Pureblood families so they have had Pureblood prejudice drilled into their heads for most of their lives. Coupled with the fact that they have no one to turn to…" Zabini shook his head, trailing off. He was only speaking this freely because he was speaking with the new Head of Slytherin House. He deserved to know and the information wasn't personal anyhow.

But the response of the dark haired man on the couch across from him had his eyes widening slightly. "Salazar would be disappointed in his students if he knew," he spoke quietly, keeping the disappointment out of his voice. "I learned quite a bit by reading his journal… and I am determined to reshape Slytherin House into something he would be proud of. The children deserve it," Salazar spoke seriously. If he could get Zabini on his side, he could have information that he needed to be able to turn his House around. Not to mention that it would give him a sort of ally against the others. As far as he knew, Zabini and Snape were the only former Slytherins currently in Hogwarts. There was no way that he was going to speak to Snape for the moment as the man very obviously loathed him, so for now he would have to seek Zabini as his possible ally. Of course, he would have to be careful with what he gave away.

((Page Break))

"My name is Hermione Granger," a hand suddenly appeared in his line of vision, blocking his view of the book he had been reading. Looking up at the one who had interrupted him, he took in the determined posture that the young woman had taken. A Gryffindor, he was sure… "I am the Defense again the Dark Arts professor," she told him next, still holding her hand out.

Not quite understanding the significance of her out stretched hand, Salazar leaned back in his chair. "You know who I am by now, I assume," he spoke mildly. "Is there something you needed me for?" He had been going over potion discoveries of the recent years, building on what he already knew. A few books and journals were open in front of him as he sat at one of the tables in the library.

Hermione flushed slightly when the man didn't take her hand. She pulled it back a little awkwardly before surging forward again, not seeming to be defeated. "You are going to be a new professor, so I thought it would be best if we could be on good terms," she said. "Perhaps we could compare teaching styles? I was a student underneath Snape's tutelage when he was the Potion's professor. I was curious to how you would do things," she told him eagerly but Salazar only gave her a disinterested look.

"You are welcome to sit in on one of my classes if you are that curious, Miss Granger. But unlike you, I only have a few more days to prepare before the children arrive. I have my duties as Head of House, and I need to prepare the material that I will be going over with the students. So, if you do not mind, I would appreciate it if you would leave me to my work," Salazar spoke as calmly as he could, his words spoken lightly. Then suddenly, he had the sudden unexplainable feeling that the tables had been turned. It was an odd feeling and one that he couldn't explain at all. Dismissing it for now, he looked back down at the books laid out before him. Distantly, Salazar heard the young woman leave with a small sniff and something about being as unapproachable as Snape. It caused a small smile to pull at his lips.

But it wasn't but a moment later before a voice was cutting through his thoughts once more. "You know… if you continue to act like that, you are never going to make any friends with the rest of the teachers," the soft voice spoke from near the library doors. Looking up, Salazar spotted an older man. He had a small smile on his lips as he approached. "I apologize for the interruption. I'll be leaving today so I wanted to introduce myself to you. I am Remus Lupin. I was a previous professor here," he said before holding his hand out to Salazar to shake.

Once more, Salazar ignored the outstretched hand. Instead, he regarded the man in front of him and took in the various scars that littered the man's face. Struck by the sudden image of a full moon, Salazar rubbed at his forehead without disrupting his bangs. Another damn headache was developing… and it was getting ridiculous. He would get these strange flashes and feelings every so often, but only with certain individuals. It was starting to irritate him more than a little. He was going to need to add it to his list of things to research, though he had no idea where to start. "It is a pleasure… but if you wouldn't mind, I would like to be left alone." He never was known for really caring about another's feelings. Although Godric had always liked to point out that he really was secretly soft at heart.

((Second Flashback))

Rubbing his temples, Salazar let out a sigh. He was startled out of his thoughts though when a sudden voice spoke up. How he hadn't noticed the wards tripping, he didn't know. Looking up, he spotted Godric leaning against the door frame with a smirk on his face. Salazar scowled and turned his head away. "What?" He snapped, rubbing at his temples again.

Chuckling deeply, Godric moved further into the room and then leaned against one of the desks. "It's not often one is able to sneak up on the almighty Salazar Slytherin," he said before laughing as Salazar snapped at him by telling him to shut his mouth. "Sorry, my friend. It is just too good to pass up! But as I was saying when I came in… I heard you made one of your students cry. Adrian Black, no less." He smirked slightly. "What did the poor boy do this time?"

Growling when he realized quickly that Godric wasn't just going to walk away, Salazar pinched the bridge of his nose. "Master Black had not done his homework for the third time in the past two weeks. I had some words him," he said before stiffening at the smirk on Godric's face. The expression just did not suit his friend's face.

"You are such soft hearted when it comes to your students, Salazar," the man said with a broad grin then. He ignored the look of disbelief and sputtering that Salazar had started. The man was questioning his sanity, wondering just how Godric thought that making his students cry was being soft on them. Chuckling, Godric lean forward as he spoke. "You wouldn't take so much time to work with them and set them straight if you didn't care for them, Sal. You just have your own way of showing it." Godric appeared smug as Salazar continued to look at the man in disbelief.

Finally, Salazar sighed and stood up. "Just because I care for them, doesn't mean I am soft," he said at last, ignoring Godric's triumphant look.

((End ridiculously short Flashback))

"Are you alright, Mr. Evans?" Lupin's voice cut through his thoughts, abruptly pulling him back from the memory that he had started to drift off into. Salazar nodded his head before standing up. He gathered his things then before shrinking them so they would be easier to carry. After two days of rest and keeping to himself, he was feeling much better.

Turning to look at Lupin then, he gave the man a brief smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I apologize. I was lost in thought for a moment. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to head to my chambers. Have a good day," he dismissed the man before leaving, missing the strange look on the werewolf's face as he breathed in Salazar's scent. There was something familiar about it…

Unaware of the strange look that had been directed towards his back, Salazar continued on to his quarters. After having been appointed as Potion's professor and becoming the Head of Slytherin House, he had received hew chambers. Snape had kept his old chambers, so the castle had created new ones for him with the help of some house elves. Through the doors to his rooms, the front chamber doubled as a study and a sitting room. There were shelves and a desk on one side of the room and a fireplace with a couch on the other side. Past a door was his bedroom with an adjacent bathroom. Once he had moved in, Salazar had retrieved all of his scrolls and books. He had little other personal affects littering the room in various places.

Unshrinking the materials he had brought with him from the library, Salazar put them on his desk before heading back out again. He made his way to his old chambers and carefully slunk inside. In the past two days, he had taken a few short trips down to his secret chamber so he could finish harvesting the potion ingredients from his lost Basilisk. Once he had every usable part, he had careful disposed of the carcass while pondering if it would be worth it to try raising another one. That had been yesterday. Today, he took some time to make some repairs. Especially getting rid of that damn statue… Tom Riddle's work, he presumed. The man had apparently flaunted his Slytherin heritage and Salazar was comfortable in assuming that the state his chamber was in was because of the male.

His first task was the statue. Salazar used cutting spells to remove portions of rock and then banished them. It was a long process but he eventually revealed the original wall. Salazar then moved on to other tasks to bring his Chamber back to its former glory, even if it had only been partly finished the last time he had been in here.

Once he was done, and fixing the preservations spells that had been failing, Salazar had felt satisfaction. The first chamber was warmer now and better lit. The stone was dry and there weren't puddles of water everywhere. The pools of water on the sides of the chamber were still there, but they weren't so dark anymore. And the water was clean now as he had cleaned some grates and opened up the blockage so the water could move freely. It had taken time since much of the spellwork in the chamber had become damaged. Salazar was under the impression it was because he had not finished the construction of the chamber when he left and the Tom Riddle individual had been tampering with it.

Now, he was more concerned about the chambers behind the stone wall that had previously been decorated by the hideous statue. He had been growing a few potions ingredients, several of the plants being dangerous ones that he hadn't wanted to grow in the gardens with the rest of the plants. He also had a small potions lab that he used for the most dangerous of his experiments. He thought it would be best to experiment deeper underground than just the dungeons. It would better absorb any accidents that might happen. There was also another chamber that had housed his baby basilisk. Giving the size that it had grown to, he was sure that the snake den would be a complete disaster. But after having fixed the spells on the main chamber, he wasn't ready to tackle it just yet.

So after a few hours, Salazar left the secret chamber and exited carefully. He was going to have to create a second exit. One that was closer to his rooms and not anywhere near the current entrance. After all, he couldn't be seen leaving a girl's bathroom, even if it wasn't used anymore given the spirit that he had sent away long before. Snorting at the thought of the ghost, he closed the entrance before carefully heading out of the bathroom.

Making his way down to the first floor through some side passages, Salazar then started making his way through the hallways towards the Front Hall. He was intending on going outside for some fresh air. After spending time in his secret chambers, he always went outside for the fresh air and open sky. As he was walking, he could suddenly feeling a building pressure in his mind. Placing his hand against his head, Salazar gave a small groan before leaning heavily against the wall beside him. Quick flashes of a red haired boy and a frizzy haired girl ran through his mind, going too quick to really latch onto. He also saw something about a troll in the first floor girl's bathroom. But there had never been a troll in the castle before… nothing so dangerous or stupid had ever gotten in before. It confused him and he didn't understand what he was seeing. He wasn't a seer, so they shouldn't be visions. But they couldn't be flashes of his past… he recognized Hogwarts' halls. These events never took place… and if they did, they wouldn't have been within Hogwarts. Something wasn't right…

Straightening once it passed – whatever it was – Salazar pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to need to keep a supply of headache reliever on hand. Or figure out what was wrong with him because he didn't want to have to rely on the pain potion. Perhaps something had happened when he had been transported to the future? A side effect of the magic explosion, perhaps? He was going to have to do some research… and digging into his memories to list out every single spell that had been used in the duel. Perhaps it would give him an answer on how to get home, if he did choose to take that route in the end.

Feeling a little better, Salazar continued on his trek to the Front Hall, grateful that no one had seen his moment of weakness. There were not even any portraits to spy on him. He would not have been responsible for his actions if something like that had happened. If he had control over the castle… he would destroy the bloody things. Or send them somewhere else where he wouldn't have to deal with them in _his_ school.

Suppressing a growl as he opened up the front doors, Salazar then made his way across the grounds before eventually coming to a stop at the edge of the lake. The Slytherin common room had the most remarkable view of the depths of the lake – a feat that had taken a hefty amount of time and spellwork so it would never fail and flood the dungeons – but it was always nice to see the lake from ground level rather than below. But of course… the land had changed after nearly a thousand years. It wasn't quite how he remembered it, but it was close enough that he could feel the same feeling of calmness that he always sought out at that spot. He could almost imagine Godric appearing to be with him like he used to…

((Third Flashback))

"Helga giving you a hard time again?" A deep voice whispered in his ear while strong arms wrapped around his waist. Salazar knew immediately who the other was and relaxed back into the embrace. The two of them were not lovers, but they were very close so Salazar did not mind the contact. It was comforting to know that he had such a good friend at his side.

"She is," he said softly as he looked out over the scenery in front of him. "I just want her to understand… It is not that I hate mundanes and mundane born children, but that I hate the beliefs they come from. Of course, some seem genuinely pleased for their children, but those are far and few between. You understand the most, Godric. You are the only other one who really seems to understand," he said with a sigh, missing the suddenly pained look on his friends' face. "I want to do something about it. Perhaps we could set up a new system. Or as much as I hate to say it… maybe we need to limit the number of mundane born children we take in until we can figure out the problem."

Salazar paused then before shaking his head. "No, that would be a stupid solution. It would not stop their accidental magic. They would be even worse off. I suppose I am just tired of having to hear the abuse my Slytherins go through when they are with their parents. But Hogwarts is their only home… I cannot take that away from them. I want to help them, but I do not know what else I can do. I am doing all I can for the moment, but I am only treating the aftereffects. It does nothing to solve the actual problem," Salazar was musing out loud, but he felt no fear in speaking his mind in front of Godric. But once he was done speaking, he noticed that his friend was unnaturally quiet. Shifting slightly, he looked up at Godric and frowned at him. "What is it?" He asked then.

Godric suddenly seemed to snap out of whatever had come over him. Looking down at Salazar, he grinned then. "It is nothing. I am sorry if I worried you, Sal. I just had something on my mind. Do not worry though, my friend. We will find a solution to your problem," he said confidently, making Salazar smile with a fond sort of exasperation.

Shaking his head, Salazar pulled out of his friend's embrace before straightening his robes. "I suppose I should go speak with Helga again. I know she hates it when we fight," he said with a small shake of his head. But before he really had a chance to do anything else, his brother suddenly appeared. Cayden came up to him before sparing a brief glance over to Godric. Salazar smiled before wrapping an arm around Cayden's shoulders. "How are you, my brother?" He greeted Cayden before absently waving goodbye to Godric.

Salazar led Cayden up towards the castle. "How does it feel to be out in the world? Have you found a master to take you in yet? Pity you didn't show an aptitude for potions," he teased his brother, happy to see him again. It had been only a short time since Cayden's graduation, but he had already begun to miss him so this visit was nice. He had missed Cayden's company.

"I wanted to speak to you, Salazar," Cayden began before quickly looking around. "I know that you want to change things, do something about the mundane born." There was a sudden strange light in the young man's eyes that set Salazar immediately on edge. "I have something in mind, and I want your help," he stepped closer to Salazar. The light was stronger now, his adoration for his brother strong in his expression. "I have already begun…"

((End Flashback))

Salazar quickly pulled out of his thoughts and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was supposed to come out here so he could clear his mind and relax, not fall into a painful memory. It was the day he had found out about Cayden's plans to eradicate the mundanes. The young man had suddenly started spewing out his hatred for the mundane, a mad glint in his eyes. Salazar had tried to coax him out of it… but it was too late and the young man had escaped. It wasn't too long after that that he was exiled from Hogwarts.

Why… would his friends exile him for some such excuse as teaching the children Dark Arts? He had explained his reasoning to the other three. He knew they weren't overly thrilled with the magic, but he had sworn that he would take every precaution so the children would not be swayed by the temptations. He had explained they needed to know the Dark Arts to better understand the Defense of them. Instead of just making him promise not to teach it anymore… they had kicked him out. It wasn't like them at all. But in his anger and his hurt, he had left without another word. Should he have stayed? No, he needed to stop Cayden. Maybe he would have gone back once the young man was… stopped, but he would never know now.

Salazar rubbed his face. He still blamed himself for not catching the hidden hatred that had been in Cayden. He should have figured it out before the young man came to tell him himself, having already started his work. And the war… he wondered if it ended shortly after his defeat of Cayden. Perhaps he could search for the information, but he doubted the information would be wholly accurate having been so long ago. He already knew that history had forgotten his brother and attributed Cayden's actions to himself instead.

Turning away, Salazar headed away from the lake and back towards the castle. Was there any place that would not bring back memories? He doubted it, figuring he would be plagued by the past forever. He doubted he would return home ever again. This new Hogwarts was going to have to become his home. Even if he could find a way back, he doubted that it would be such a good idea. For one… he would be sorely tempted to fix whatever had gone wrong with his House. His meddling would only cause an extreme paradox, likely to completely destroy the entire chain of time and events. No… he didn't think he was ever going to be able to return home. He would make a new home here. Perhaps there was a reason that magic had sent him here.

((Page Break))

Over the next few days, Salazar mostly kept to himself. He spent some time with Zabini, but mostly he spent time alone to work. He had a lot of work to catch up on so he was ready for the new year. He was able to adapt some of his old work, but there was a lot of material that he had to change because these were students he didn't know. He also had to prepare for the work he would have being the Head of House to students he did not know and did not know, or trust, him.

But as he worked, he did keep tabs on what was going on. Eolas would spy for him at times, other times he would do his own spying. He had kept track of the comings and goings of the Order of the Phoenix, though he still had very little actual information about the inner workings of the war. He knew what the newspaper had written about, but he took it all with a grain of salt. The Voldemort character had ceased activity for a span of three days before suddenly picking up steam once more. There were raids and other tales in the newspaper, furthering proving Salazar's dislike for the former Slytherin descendent. Also, there was no information on a resistance. He watched as presumed Order members would leave and then come back, many injured. Sometimes, a few wouldn't come back. But never once did their efforts appear in the newspaper. Salazar was under the impression that the newspaper was likely under Death Eater control. What a perfect way to scare and dishearten the masses.

When he had first arrived, Salazar had hoped that he would have been able to stay out of the war. But as he learned more about the current events, he knew that it was going to be impossible. For the moment though, he was content where he was. If it came down to it, he would help protect the students. He was sure he knew things about the wards that no one else knew because they had been long forgotten. Hogwarts was the safest place to be, there was no doubt about that. But if he was going to protect Hogwarts, he needed to know more about the war. Unfortunately, not many were willing to talk to him. They were put off by him and didn't trust him.

Shaking his head briefly, Salazar sat down at the table and then gathered some food for himself. The first day of classes would start soon, so he understood that the students would soon be arriving. If he remembered correctly, they were going to take something called a train. At least it seemed to be much more reliable than how students had to get to Hogwarts before in his time.

"Professor Evans," Dumbledore's voice cut through his thoughts and Salazar turned slightly to the Headmaster, inclining his head to show the man that he had his attention. Dumbledore smiled before absently tucking his beard into his belt so it wouldn't get in the way. It gave Salazar the impression that the man was planning something. "Given the state that the wizarding world is in, I believe it is best if we could give the students as much protection as we can. Several Aurors and Order members will be present on the train to help guard it on the trip. I would like to insist that you go with to help protect the students."

Salazar was left speechless as a few of the gathered professors and Order members began to protest the choice. Dumbledore merely smiled and turned to his food. Salazar scowled briefly before standing up. He would go down to the kitchens to finish his meal, if he had to. "I suppose I must accept your proposal, Headmaster." He then turned and headed out of the Great Hall. Something told him that Dumbledore was going to continue to insist on these scenarios. He supposed it was the man's way of learning about his position and potential. It wasn't going to make it any less irritating, of course.

Turning his head slightly as someone came up to him, Salazar relaxed somewhat as he recognized Zabini. The young man was easy to talk to, though he was a few years younger than he was. He was a former Slytherin student, so it gave them some common ground. It also helped that the young man was willing to get to know him, though both used a healthy dose of caution as was only fitting. "Wanted to talk, Zabini?" He questioned, making the other man chuckle and shake his head.

"I suppose. Want to head down to the kitchens to eat with me? The others are still protesting and trying to get Dumbledore to change his mind," he snorted softly before smiling briefly as Salazar nodded his head in acceptance. Once in the kitchens and receiving food from the over eager house elves, Zabini glanced over to Salazar. "I'm going to be on the train as well," he offered.

Chewing a bite of food slowly, Salazar then swallowed before looking over to Zabini. "You are a former Slytherin student. And from what I have learned, many of them have been swayed to the Dark Lord's forces." He suppressed the thought of Cayden, his brother having taken on the title of a Dark Lord in his time. "Even the spy before he came back to offer his assistance. May I ask a personal question, and inquire as to why you are so openly against the Dark Lord?"

"My family has always been neutral," Zabini offered with a shrug. "And I do not believe in pureblood supremacy. Of course, I am not overly fond of muggleborns, but that is only because of some of their ideas that they bring in. Fresh ideas and new blood are needed, but not if the ideas are pushing out important magical customs." He watched Salazar closely, but nonchalantly, as he spoke.

Salazar merely chuckled and nodded his head. "I agree. Now if I can get my students to understand such a thing," he spoke lightly before eating more of his food. He wanted to ask more about the Order of the Phoenix, but he wasn't going to push it just yet. Instead, he focused on what they were going to have to do to protect the students on the train. "The students will arrive on September 1st, yes? Where is the train, when will it leave, and what are we supposed to do?" He asked, sipping at his pumpkin juice.

Nodding in acceptance at the change of subject, Zabini told Salazar that the train was in London at King's Cross Station and would be leaving at precisely 11 o'clock. They would have to be there a few hours early before the gates opened to allow the students in. They would then patrol the cars during the trip to make sure that the students were safe and nothing happened. There would be other adults in the protection detail that would be flying alongside the train on broomsticks under illusion spells. Zabini went over a few more details before promising to meet up with Salazar at Hogwarts.

As they parted, Salazar was called away then to go to a staff meeting. Dumbledore gave them last minute announcements before the students would arrive within the next few days and told them who the prefects were. Salazar did not know any of them like the other professors did, but said nothing. He would find out who they were soon enough.

As they were sitting there, a sudden burst of flame caught their attention. Salazar immediately stiffened and reached for his wand, but noted that the others seemed to be used to it as they didn't move and instead shot Salazar looks of smug amusement. He wasn't able to reply however as he spotted what had caused the disturbance. It was a bright red and gold phoenix that had his eyes widening. It wasn't in awe, however, but in recognition. He didn't say anything, but he would recognize Godric's familiar anywhere. The creature barely spared him a glance, but Salazar could understand why. Phoenixes were highly intelligent creatures. He knew that the creature would be hunting him down in private at some point though. Perhaps he would be able to get some answers from Fawkes.

As he watched the creature, he watched at it handed a scroll over to Dumbledore. "He's Dumbledore's familiar," a professor whispered from next to him. "Also why Albus' Order is called the way it is, I'm sure." The man woman chuckled before pulling back. Salazar didn't say anything, only inspecting the creature with a dull throb of pain. It brought back memories of when Godric had first stumbled across the young Phoenix and had saved him.

Rubbing his chest, Salazar quickly pushed back the memory that threatened to overtake him as Dumbledore read the letter over with a frown. He then stood up. "I apologize, but I am going to have to bring this meeting to an end. I have other matters that need to be taken care of." The Headmaster left then, members of the Order leaving behind him. The rest of the professors then gathered up their materials before slowly trickling out of the staff room, leaving Salazar alone. He wondered if it would be worth it to try to join the Order… although, he suspected that he would be questioned under Veritaserum. That was something he could not have happen. Not unless he could brew the anti-serum. It was possible, but it would take time. He would also need to find ingredients that would be very hard to obtain. He would have to see in time if it was worth it. But for now… he had a trip and a school year that he needed to finish preparations.

((End Chapter))

**Probably still a little skippy like… sorry! Not many are willing to interact with Salazar right now. I hope this chapter was otherwise worth the wait, though! Next chapter will be the train ride and Salazar will get to meet the students, mwhahahaha!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Edit: Continuing with the editing here to fix up problems in my original writing. Again, please tell me what you think?**

**SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT: Oh, and how xFactor101 pointed out… I don't think I mentioned anything about Harry/Salazar's glasses. Let's just assume that Godric gets annoyed with his friend's inability to see properly and helps him out. Sounds like something Godric would do right? I might actually make a flashback for that… would be amusing!**

**Disclaimer: As much as I would love to… I don't own this. But I don't own this. Just the plot line…**

**Last time:**

_Rubbing his chest, Salazar quickly pushed back the memory that threatened to overtake him as Dumbledore read the letter over with a frown. He then stood up. "I apologize, but I am going to have to bring this meeting to an end. I have other matters that need to be taken care of." The Headmaster left then, members of the Order leaving behind him. The rest of the professors then gathered up their materials before slowly trickling out of the staff room, leaving Salazar alone. He wondered if it would be worth it to try to join the Order… although, he suspected that he would be questioned under Veritaserum. That was something he could not have happen. Not unless he could brew the anti-serum. It was possible, but it would take time. He would also need to find ingredients that would be very hard to obtain. He would have to see in time if it was worth it. __But for now… he had a trip and a school year that he needed to finish preparations._

**Chapter Four**

'_Somehow, I knew I would find you here, Salazar Slytherin,' _a deep voice suddenly echoed in his head. Salazar barely blinked, but looked up to see Fawkes across from him while perched on the back of a chair. After the staff meeting had ended, Salazar had left to go to the library. He had summoned his journals and notes, going over them carefully again. He had seven different years he had to teach and each one needed a different approach. First years he already knew what he would do, taking much of it from his previous years of teaching back in his own time period. His second through fifth years would all need quizzes that he had to write out, while the sixth and seventh year advanced students would need a specialized quiz as well.

He had been working on a quiz that he would give out to both his sixth and seventh year classes when he was interrupted by a certain scarlet and gold phoenix. "Somehow, I know that you would come and find me," he shot back as he looked back down to the journal in his lap. He had known that Fawkes would come find him eventually. Part of him wanted to know what had become of his former friends and the phoenix would be the only one who knew. But another, and larger, part of him was still reeling from the betrayal of the only people he had really trusted. Fawkes was Godric's familiar… he almost wondered why the creature hadn't attacked him yet. "I thought that phoenixes did not like dark wizards," Salazar spoke almost bitterly, his emerald green eyes darkening even further.

'_But you are not strictly a dark wizard are you, Salazar Slytherin?' _The phoenix responded as it preened its feathers, making Salazar scowl. _'Besides… you know as well as I do that dark magic does not make a wizard evil. It is the intent in which the magic is used. Of course, there is a fine line if one does not take care to watch how they tread, but we both know that you have never stepped so much as a single toe over that line. You are a survivor, not a cold blooded murderer.'_

Salazar turned his head away, an unreadable look on his face. He was just glad that he had taken time to set up privacy spells beforehand. It had kept others away so he could prepare in private and now kept anyone from knowing his conversation with Fawkes. Of course the bloody phoenix could get through them, but he did not have to worry too much about what was said. He did take care to keep his voice low and make sure no one approached, though. "And why did you not try to tell your master that?" He sneered, knowing that Fawkes would know what he was talking about.

The creature suddenly gave a mournful trill. _'I was going through a burning phase, Salazar Slytherin, when I had grown enough to realize what had happened, you were already gone. Godric sent me after you to try to find you, but you had already disappeared.'_

Lifting his head again, Salazar gave the phoenix a disbelieving look. "Sent you after me? Why would he do such a thing? They banished me!" He said heatedly, the pain too great to hide from his expressive eyes. "Did he want to drive the knife deeper into my soul? Is that why he wanted you to find me? He was too late then and perhaps it was not such a bad thing that I ended up here," he scowled before standing up and gathering his things with jerky movements.

'_Salazar Slytherin!' _Fawkes voice was sharp, making Salazar cringe as the voice echoed about in his head. _'You will do well to listen to what I have to say! Instead of prattling on about what you do not know about, you will instead listen to me! Do you understand me, you foolish wizard?' _Fawkes had puffed himself up and he was shining brightly. It made Salazar's head hurt to watch so he turned his head away. _'Godric was…' _Fawkes started speaking but was cut off when one of the professors entered the library. _'I will speak with you later,' _Fawkes said finally before disappearing.

Dropping the privacy spells with a growl, Salazar swept past the confused professor as he started the trek back to his rooms. He didn't feel like working anymore. Maybe it was time he went to the Room of Requirement. It was a special little room that he and Godric had dreamed up one day. Ingenious really… and will a little help from Rowena, it had been set into existence. Of course… Rowena never really knew what they two of them had been doing. Salazar smiled wryly at the thought as he set his journals down on the table.

((Fourth Flashback))

Godric slumped into the seat next to Salazar. Looking over to the man, the green eyes wizard raised a delicate eyebrow. "What has got you into a mood this time, Godric?" He asked in amusement before smirking slightly at the glare that was thrown his way. Salazar's amusement only grew as Godric's glare slowly turned into a petulant pout.

"That damn woman will not let me practice my sword play out on the grounds anymore! She is citing bad influence and… can you believe that?" He exploded at the end, throwing his hands into the air. Godric did not look pleased at all, angry and just a little bit indignant.

Salazar still looked extremely amused. "You know Rowena does not like you using the school grounds to practice. I believe she told me that it was a distraction. I am inclined to agree what with all of the girls that tend to gather around you when they could be doing more productive things," Salazar teased. "Helga will back her up as well, so I am afraid that you do not have much choice, Godric."

Looking at his friend with a scowl now, Godric crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh? Did you know that she has forbidden us to spar on the school grounds as well?" He said bitterly, though a glimmer of amusement sparked in his eyes at the gob smacked look on Salazar's face.

"What? She cannot do that! We take every precaution so that…!" Salazar trailed off before giving Godric an icy glare when he noticed the smug look on the man's face. "You wipe that look off of your face, Gryffindor, or I am not going to help you with this predicament!" He threatened his friend, immediately feeling pleased when Godric sobered up. If it was one thing Godric enjoyed, it was swinging his sword around. Salazar could understand the notion, though he much preferred his knives. It was something recent he had picked up, but he supposed he wasn't going to be able to get much practice in now that Rowena was forbidding them from dueling each other. "Bad influence indeed," he muttered under his breath. "It is all in good fun!"

Salazar sighed then and set aside his book. "So then, Godric… how do you suppose that we go about this?" He asked, a small smirk forming on his lips. "If Rowena catches us, she will have our hides. But we cannot just very well go along with this, can we?" Godric threw him a smirk in return. Salazar liked to think that his deviousness rubbed off on his friend.

"Well, I would not suggest using an empty classroom. Remember the last time we tried that?" He asked with a grimace. He didn't think the house elves had forgiven them for that mess even now. "We need a room that is large enough to move freely in. Maybe even something to absorb wayward spells?" Godric mused out loud.

Suddenly, Salazar perked up and his eyes seemed to sparkle with eagerness. Standing up, he hurried over to a bookshelf. He grabbed down a scroll before bringing it over to Godric. "Look here! I was doing some light reading the other day and I came upon this. It mentions a pocket dimension. It is the same type of idea that some wizards use for tents. Remember that one man we ran into one day during our travels? The inside of his tent was almost like a small castle, though it was contained in this small tarp that looked like it would only house one person."

Pointing to the inscription on the page, Salazar set it down before hurrying off to grab a book of bound parchment. "What if we used the same type of enchantment in one of the rooms here? It will be large enough for our sparring and we could even tweak the spell to add in other things. Like the spell absorption that you mentioned."

Godric watched his friend in fond amusement. While Salazar could close up and keep to himself, being almost cold, when they were in a sociable setting, it never ceased to amaze him how excited the other man could be when he latched onto a subject he found interesting. Salazar was his closest friend… and he cherished the trust that the man showed him. "Perfect," he said, interrupting his friend's chatter. "It will be our little secret."

((End Flashback))

And it had been. Godric and he had spent countless weeks researching everything they could to create the web of spells that eventually gave rise to the Room of Requirement. There were a few times that they had needed Rowena's help with how a spell might interact with the runes they used to anchor it all, but as she was prone to conversations and debates about anything it was easy enough to slip it in without any suspicion. Salazar knew that Godric had been proud of himself, though he had never ceased to pretend to complain that he was becoming another 'slimy Slytherin'. Salazar had gotten him back with a few choice curses for those ones, though he knew his friend was only teasing him.

Pushing the painful memories aside, Salazar made his way up to the seventh floor. He kept to the secret passages before finally making his way to the special room. At least this hallway was generally devoid of paintings. Could he ever say just how much he despised the things? He wouldn't be surprised if they numbered in the thousands! Entire walls were covered with the damned things, each occupant gossiping and being a general nuisance. But he knew his constant mental complaining wasn't going to do anything about it, so he stepped up to the blank patch of wall.

Placing his hand against the cold stone, Salazar closed his eyes and concentrated. He needed a room in which he could spar, get his frustration out. His magic was nearly back to normal levels, so he felt safe enough to do this. Focusing on the room he needed, he whispered a short password. There was another way to get into the room, but this was the quickest. Not to mention it was the best way to slip into the room when Rowena was out for blood. He couldn't even begin to count how many times Godric and he had hidden out in the room after some thing or another had gotten out of hand.

And here… he would be hiding again, this time from his memories. As always, Salazar did not give any outward sign of his inner turmoil or thoughts. It was only in private that he could let everything out. So with a muttered spell, the door behind him was sealed. Summoning his precious knives, two long bladed beauties, Salazar had commanded the room to provide him with opponents. As commanded, rock golems rose from the ground. Salazar was just glad that his knives were spelled to be unbreakable and would cut through even stone. They were double sided, giving him better range.

So surrounded by stone golems that were provided by this special room, Salazar was able to work out the frustrations that had been building inside of him. Originally he had planned on using magic, but this ended up being purely physical. Sometimes it was good to forget about magic. He knew that many wizards were dependent on their wands, their spells. He had seen the evidence in the past, but more so now. The wizarding world had changed so much since his time… and yet, it was very much the same.

((Page Break))

"Ready to go babysit some obnoxious children not ready for the new school year, Evans?" Zabini smirked at Salazar, making the man glare at him. The last few days before the new term had passed far too quickly and now Zabini had come to join him on his trip to the train station. Salazar had done a bit of research had had learned more about the train, including where it was located. In truth, he was curious about the contraption. He just wasn't thrilled that the term would be starting up again already. He enjoyed teaching… he just didn't feel like he had had enough time to prepare. A curse upon him should he mention that out loud, though.

"I certainly hope that I will not have to babysit you as well, Zabini," Salazar drawled as he straightened his emerald summer cloak. It was light, with cooling charms on it. The cloak was something he would wear quite often when traveling outside. He rather enjoyed the looks mundanes would give him… and it had become habit. Not to mention that the cooling charms were a godsend when the weather was warm. "Let us take our leave… we will be apparating, yes?" He brushed past the man and headed down the castle steps with a swirl of his cloak.

He could not say that he was friends with Zabini… but the man was a good companion. He was easy enough to get along with and he rather enjoyed their banter. But Salazar did not trust himself enough to call the man a friend... not after what had happened with the other founders. He was not going to make the same mistake twice. So while he enjoyed Zabini's presence, he continued to hold the man at a proverbial arm's length. And Zabini being a former Slytherin student… he probably understood even if he didn't know the exact reasons. Never trust others… only yourself. They were the exact words he had told his students not so long ago, though it would have been lifetimes away in this time.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Salazar glanced over to Zabini once they had passed the school gates. The wards ended here so they could now apparate. "Meet you there, Zabini. Do not take too long," he drawled before disappearing with a nearly silent crack. He never did like the loud and flashy pops that some wizards preferred when apparating. Draws much too attention to oneself, Salazar thought with a wry smirk.

Zabini seemed to take after his example, popping quietly into the area next to him. "That wasn't very nice, Evans," he said with a playful glare. Salazar only smirked at him in response before looking over to the Hogwarts Express with interest. Zabini followed his gaze before chuckling. "I very much doubt this thing was around during Slytherin's time, so it wouldn't be in his journal."

Salazar shook his head. "No, it was not…" He inspected the locomotive curiously and closely. "It is a fascinating piece of spellwork." Chuckling then, he shook his head and looked over to Zabini. "I suppose that we will be adding to the security of the train?" His question was more of a statement as he pulled out his wand.

"Yes. Though, make sure to keep away from the actual spellwork of the engine itself. There are years and layers worth of enchantments on it and I doubt that our spells would mix well with them," Zabini recommended with a snort, drawing out his own wand and heading over to stand in front of one of the cars. "There are already several enchantments, but I think we should add some repelling charms and a couple of wards for warning. It should strengthen the older wards."

Only vaguely paying attention from where he was inspecting the web of enchantments that encompassed the train cars, Salazar made a vague sound of committal as he flicked his wand. He worked better by seeing the spells on his own rather than having someone tell him what to do. "Why do you not go check the spellwork on the rest of the station? I can take care of the train cars," he told the other man. "When the others come, have them help you. I can handle this on my own." It would be better that way anyways since he would be working around the old spells that were already on the train. It was older than the station spells at any rate. "It will be easier having a single individual working on this than trying to work alongside another since we have no experience working on complicated spellwork as a team."

"Trying to prove yourself?" Zabini raised an eyebrow towards Salazar as he lowered his wand. He had a teasing smirk on his lips that caused Salazar to scowl.

"Be silent, you oaf," Salazar sniffed before turning back to the train in front of him. He preferred working on his own rather than have to get his magic to work with others working alongside him. He did not know or trust these other wizards, so working alone suited him just fine. And by the time that he finished with the last of the enchantments, Zabini had finished with the rest of the group who had gathered.

Salazar approached the group once he was sure that everything had been completely finished. A man, dark hair just greying at the temples, stepped up to his side. There was an empty look in the man's eyes even as he sneered at him. "I suppose we will be working together then, Slytherin." Salazar sent a sharp look at the man before he realized that the man was Sirius Black and had not found him out, but instead was an attempt at an insult. He had seen the man at Hogwarts, had argued with him, though the man hadn't appeared since then. If he remembered correctly, and he was positive he had, Salazar knew that the man was part of the Order of the Phoenix. The members had been moving in and out of Hogwarts for some time, though Salazar had paid them little mind. But there was something nagging about this Black though not that he had more of his wits about him and was not struggling with magical exhaustion like when he had previously encountered the Black Lord… he had the inexplicably feeling that Black should be in hiding, not standing in plain view of everyone.

Black must have seen something in his expression because he gave a mocking smile. "Not caught up to times yet have you? I was cleared a short time ago." Salazar was just confused now, but inclined his head in supposed understanding. "The rat Pettigrew was caught, so society at large doesn't believe I'm working for Moldy-shorts anymore." He snorted, ignoring the incredulous look that Salazar shot him as the man was surprised that Black was even talking to him after their confrontation when they had first met.

Shaking his head, Salazar decided that he was going to have to look into the man's story. Apparently it was something that was well known and he could not afford to be caught off guard again. He doubted very much that Black would hesitate to use it against him. There was a lot of history that he needed to catch up on but had little time to study as he had been concentrating on his schoolwork preparations instead. He thought he remembered a news article in the library mentioning Sirius Black. He would have to look into it again. "You are one of the Order members watching the train?" He broke the silence, watching as Black seemed to shake something off. Immediately, the man's eyes sharpened slightly and he barked out orders that the others scrambled to obey. But Salazar couldn't stop the feeling of intense _wrongness_.

Black then turned to Salazar. "Zabini and you will be on the train along with me. We have four others that will be patrolling along the train on brooms. They will be relieved halfway through." The man paused before gesturing towards the platform entrance. "The kids will be arriving soon. I want everyone in position. Zabini and Evans, get on the train and start your patrol," he snapped before disappearing towards the entrance. "Oh, and don't get in my way, Evans!" Salazar missed the flash of pain that appeared on the man's face as the ex-convict remembered another Evans he had once known.

Watching the man's back as Black left, Salazar frowned. Something wasn't right with the man, but he couldn't put his finger on why. It irritated him, made him suspicious. Making a note to keep a better eye on Black when he was about, he turned and then boarded the train. Immediately, he spent the last few minutes before the kids came to check out the layout of the train. He even spoke briefly with the conductor. But when he heard loud activity coming from the platform, he immediately headed back into the cars proper so he could keep an eye on the children that boarded. It was the perfect time to start to learn who was who, and find out who would be the troublemakers.

And as the children boarded, he had already broken up no less than three fights. Seems tensions where high… Salazar could not say that he was surprised, but it left him irritated. He enjoyed teaching, but he rather detested petty fights. Promises of detention and the use of a glare that he had perfected over the years set things straight, at least for a while. And by the time that the train left the station, Salazar was ready for the trip to be over.

But thankfully, the trip itself did go rather well. He had to break up a few more fights as time passed, but he supposed it could have been worse and thankfully none of them had led to actual spellcasting between the students. It did also give him the chance to pinpoint a few students that he wanted to speak with in the near future. But it was as he was calming one such boy that the train suddenly shook.

Cursing under his breath, and thankfully not in Parseltongue as had been his habit for the past few years, Salazar ordered an older student to keep an eye on the young boy before he went to find out what had happened. As he was walking briskly down the hallway, Salazar flicked his wrist and summoned his wand into his hand. As he did this, Zabini met up with him. "Deatheaters," the man scowled. "They're approaching the train. Already they are up against the guards on the brooms. Back up is coming, but we need to protect the students."

Salazar nodded curtly before pressing the tip of his want against his throat. "Attention students! Listen closely! Due to the situation that has developed, I want each and every one of you in a compartment. You have a minute before you are locked out in the corridor! Older students, I ask that you keep an eye on the youngers. Act swiftly and all will be well." He pulled his wand away from his throat then. "Go through the train with me and make sure every student is seated. Compartments must then be locked and shades must be drawn so they cannot see. Make sure that if there are compartments with only first years, that there is at least one upper year to be seated with them." He would not subject innocent students to whatever horrors there were outside during the fighting. The spells on the train cars should prevent anything devastating from happening at least.

Stalking down the hallway quickly, Salazar made sure that the students were in the compartments before he used a spell to lock the doors. "Draw the curtains," he snapped, making sure that his orders were followed. Once every compartment was secured, Salazar allowed himself to relax only briefly. At least the children should be safe enough for now.

"They're all locked," Zabini appeared at Salazar's side, wand drawn. "Black is with the conductor, but he should be back soon." Heading over to the car door then, he opened it to the outside and looked out. "It's a band of ten deatheaters. It's a small group, so we it is hard to guess what their aim is."

Nodding in agreement, Salazar strained to listen to what was going on outside. Suddenly, Black was there. "On the roof," the man ordered roughly. Salazar scowled before pushing past Zabini. Using the momentum of the train, he swung himself onto the roof of the train car. Using a mild sticking charm, he was able to keep himself stable. Moving out of the way of the other two men, he quickly surveyed the area. From this vantage point, they could see the entire train. "Keep the deatheaters away from the train!" Black barked before running off down the swaying cars. He seemed to have used a sticking spell as well.

No dark spells, Salazar reminded himself before sending a silent bludgeoning curse towards a masked deatheater. The spell missed, but only because of the deflection shield the wizard was able to put up. And when the wizard took the bait and threw a barrage of spells towards Salazar, the man grinned widely and immediately swept his wand in a large circle. Too easy! Godric made a much better dueler than this!

"Briseadh!" Salazar hissed, jabbing his wand in the direction of the deatheater. Immediately, the broom splintered underneath the masked wizard and he fell with a cry. Luckily, for the deatheater, he was close to the train and so fell on the top of one of the cars. Unluckily, Salazar didn't give him any time to recover before he was throwing spells at him. A hastily thrown up shield saved him from most of the attack.

Standing up, the deatheater was nearly thrown from the train as it rocked before he quickly put a sticking charm on his feet. He quickly had to throw up another shield though to avoid Salazar's spell. It burst straight through the shield and impacted against his chest. The bludgeoning spell sent the masked wizard flying backwards before he was able to get his footing again. Finally then, he was able to retaliate.

But for the poor deatheater, the duel came to a rather quick and abrupt halt when Salazar tired of warming up and hissed a harsh, "ghearradh." It connected with his throat, leaving a gaping wound. Salazar pushed the body off the side of the train before deflecting a spell that was barreling towards him with a sharp flick of his wand. He paid little mind to the fact that he had just killed a man. It wouldn't be the first time he had killed and it certainly would not be the last as long as they were at war.

With the defense quickly dispatching the small attack force, it did not take long to defeat the remainder of the deatheaters. The four guards on their brooms had taken out half of the attack group while Salazar, Zabini, and Black where able to take out the rest. There were a few injuries, and one guard was being taken to Hogwarts in critical condition, but the turnout was much better than Salazar had been expecting. For an attack group, it had been surprisingly small even for against a train full of children who could not defend themselves. Furthermore, the attackers themselves had been mediocre at best. "It was a test," he told Zabini his thoughts once they were back inside the train. "This Dark Lord is gathering his troops, is he not? The attack was too small to be any of importance." Zabini could only nod his head in agreement.

For the rest of the trip to Hogwarts, the two males were forced to comfort many scared children once the locking spells were lifted from the compartments. A few of the older students helped out where they could and Salazar made a note to give them points later. He would mention it to the Headmaster so the upper years could be rewarded for their effort in keeping the younger years calm. But by the time they arrived at the station, Salazar was very much relieved to finally be allowed to head back to the castle. Others relieved them from their duties, so he apparated from the station to the castle gates. From there he swiftly made his way to his chambers to freshen up before the welcoming feast.

By the time that he reached the Great Hall a short while later, he was informed that the students had just arrived at the castle doors and would soon be in. Salazar took his seat before carefully arranging his robes. He was feeling much more relaxed now, in part thanks to being in the castle again. Hogwarts always had this calming effect on him when he was at his most stressed. It also helped that the adrenalin from the earlier fight had passed so he was in the stage just before exhaustion would set in. Just enough time to get through the welcoming feast, thankfully.

Watching as the students poured into the Hall, Salazar watched as they all interacted with one another as they found seats at their respective tables. He was most interested in his own House, making note of students he would need to speak with before others. There was a good number of students overall he thought in comparison to his own time, but he could overhear several of the professors whispering about how many students hadn't come this year. This knowledge made him proud in the fact that Hogwarts had grown. Once this nasty war was out of the way, his school could grow once more. He would make sure of it.

Breaking out of his thoughts, Salazar realized that he had missed the First Years being brought in. He had been vaguely aware, but little enough for the time to have flown more quickly than it should have. And as he watched now, the Sorting Hat was being brought out. Ah, that silly little thing that had started out all because of a joke… Salazar smiled faintly to himself as he watched the hat start to sing. He couldn't believe that it had survived all of these years.

((Fifth Flashback))

"Oh for the love of all that is good in the world… we are _not_ using a cloak to sort the students!" Salazar burst out, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Godric pouted in response, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why not, Sal? I rather like the idea… the cloak turning the colour of the house the student is in."

Scowling slightly, Salazar looked over at his friend. "First off, do not call me by that infernal name… second off; I think it is a ridiculous idea! Even… even using your hat instead would be a better idea! And it could _sing_ for all I care! The cloak is a stupid idea," he ground out, crossing his own arms and squaring off against Godric.

As the two men continued to argue, Rowena and Helga shared a mischievous look before Rowena swiped Godric's hat off the nearby table without either Salazar or Godric really noticing. The two women then started adding spell after spell onto the brown wizard's hat, carefully weaving together the enchantments that they had been talking together about before Salazar and Godric had started arguing. They added in a few more spells before Rowena finished with preservation and animation charms. "And there you are… problem solved," she called out, setting the hat down and getting the man's attention.

Immediately, the Sorting Hat stirred slightly before shaking itself. A few wrinkles and folds, which looked suspiciously like a face, seemed to observe them critically for a moment. Godric could only gape at what had once been his hat. Salazar looked suspiciously amused, but was trying to keep his face straight. He hadn't actually meant for them to use Godric's hat… but he had to admit that it was amusing. And it might actually work out, as well.

"My _hat_…" Godric whined before jumping as the Hat gave a disdainful sniff. It made Salazar smother chuckle and then smirk at his friend when Godric glared at him. "It is not funny! I blame you for this! You now owe me another hat!" He accused Salazar with a huff, making his friend smirk even wider.

((End short Flashback))

"... do dwell.

But before we take part in the yearly ritual,

There is time to mention of the changing times.

Old wounds will be healed,

A thousand year feud shall be mended.

Light grows in the darkness,

Secrets of ages past will come to light.

The Lion will roar…

Agus beidh an nathair ardú arís."

There was silence for several long moments before there was scattered applause mixed in with the confused muttering. Salazar regarded the Hat with a critical eye. He had never heard the Hat prophesize like that… he must be too entirely bored sitting on that shelf all year long. Salazar tried not to snort in amusement, though he couldn't stop the doubt that simmered in the back of his head. The hat would know that he was back as he was connected to the castle's magic, though he had made sure that the castle would keep its silence. The hat would know of his presence… but the words sounded to prophetic for him to be comfortable.

Contrary to the books he had read, Helga and not Rowena had held Seer blood through her ties to the northmen. Perhaps she had transferred over some of that ability to the Hat? No, that was quite impossible. The Hat was probably overhearing conversations and speaking his own opinion. Still, something about it bothered him.

Shaking it off, Salazar watched as the small number of children where sorted. He would clap politely as each child was sent off to their new House and he would nod in acceptance when a child would enter his own House. But he received only a small handful of new students…. His House was the smallest of the school and that displeased him.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore beamed as he stood up from his spot. The Sorting Hat had been removed from the Hall now and the children were eagerly awaiting the start of the fast. "Before we start, I have a few announcements," he smiled happily at the students, though Salazar could see the weariness in the old man's eyes. "First off, we will be starting up a dueling class for the upper years. It is mandatory for the beginning of the year, but you will all have the option later to drop out of it if you wish." Not every witch or wizard was skilled enough to be a duelist, but it would do all of the students good to know the basics.

"Our very own Professor Snape will be taking over the class," Dumbledore beamed at the students again before clapping his hands for Snape. The staff clapped their hands politely for their colleague while most of the students just stared. Slytherin House clapped for their former Head of House, of course. Not seeming to notice, Dumbledore carried on. "As Professor Snape will be teaching this class, we have a new replacement for your Potions teacher. Please welcome Professor Evans," he motioned to Salazar before clapping his hands as well. "Please treat him as you would any of your professors."

Before the year started, Dumbledore had asked Salazar to demonstrate his potion skill. Snape had grudgingly given his approval beforehand, but Dumbledore had needed to see for himself to make sure he was hiring an adequate teacher. Of course, this had been at the insistence of the other professors, but Salazar could not fault them. In any case, he had impressed Dumbledore so was now the official Potions' professor. He would enjoy teaching the students, even though he knew none of them well enough yet. Although some of them he had most likely known their ancestors, so the thought of that made him hide a smile of amusement. Instead, Salazar stood up briefly and bowing politely. "I look forward to teaching you all," he said smoothly as he surveyed the students before taking seat again.

The students clapped politely, but none of them knew him so they were not entirely enthusiastic. Salazar smirked briefly in amusement as he leaned back in his chair. He could only imagine how amusing their reactions would be when they were told he was the new Head of Slytherin House. His little snakelings would probably be the least amused.

"Now then, just one little more announcement before we dig in," Dumbledore said with a brief look towards Snape. "Hogwarts herself has invoked a rule set deep in the past. Because of this, Slytherin House now has a new Head of House." There were surprised mutterings from the students, though Slytherin House was the most vocal. "Professor Evans has been appointed by Hogwarts herself as Slytherin's new Head of House."

There was silence following Dumbledore's announcement. The Headmaster took the opportunity to summon the Feast, distracting a good number of the students. Serving himself some food, Salazar looked over his House carefully. He could tell that they were not happy, but he knew that he would be able to gain their trust in time if he did things right. So pulling his gaze away, he turned to his meal.

((Page Break))

After the children had been dismissed from the Hall, Salazar slipped away so he could head down to his dungeons. He took several passageways before ending up at the entrance to the Common room. Stroking the rune on the wall, he whispered the new password, "Nua gealach." Stepping inside, he then made his way over to the couch and sat down. He stretched out slightly, crossing his legs and putting his arms over the back of the couch to give him a relaxed air. There, he waited for his students to arrive.

Salazar didn't have to wait long. When the door slipped open, he could hear the Prefects speaking to the younger years. However, they quickly went silent when they realized that Salazar was there. Chuckling, the man raised a hand and gestured them closer. "Come in; come in… close the door behind you. I know you all must be tired, but I wanted a word with you all before you went to bed."

There was reluctance in their steps, but eventually they all gathered around their new Head of House. Salazar smiled briefly before motioning for them all to make themselves comfortable. Leaning forward then, he studied all of the young faces. Finally, he nodded to himself. "As you know, I am Professor Evans. I am your new Head of House, as appointed by Hogwarts. I know none of you trust me… but I want you to know that any of you can come to me for anything no matter what time it is." He paused then before letting himself smirk. "And I took the liberty of removing the portraits from the Common room, Head privilege and all that." Not to mention he had Hogwarts on his side because he was a founder. "You do not have to worry about the Headmaster spying on you," Salazar sniffed before standing up.

"I know that none of you know me, nor do you trust me. That is fine with me. Just remember this… Slytherins are a family." He looked to the first years who didn't know how things worked in Slytherin House yet. "If you cannot trust others, you can at least trust yourself and the rest of your family." His dark green eyes swept the assembled students sharply. "So, I do not want to hear anything about anyone picking on their fellow House member. If you have a feud with another student, I want it settled properly in private away from prying ears. When you are out in the rest of the castle, I want all of you to stand together."

His expression softened a little bit then. "Go on to bed now, you all have had a long day. I will set down some rules for you all later, but for now I will not keep you here. You all need your rest. Sleep well, Snakelings. I will have your schedules for you in the morning, so make sure you come on time to breakfast," Salazar told them as he headed over to the entrance. "Prefects, make sure that the first years know where they are going. I do not want any of them getting lost like other students undoubtedly will. Make me proud," he said before slipping out the door. He had made sure to stay as open as he could with his snakelings, but he also kept his voice firm so there would be no doubt of what was expected of them. He would not accept anything less. And he wasn't a fool to think that they would start coming to him right away, but at least the seed was planted. Eventually, they would start coming to him and he would be waiting. Until then, he did have other things to correct.

With that thought, Salazar made his way to his rooms. Entering them, he ran his fingers through his hair with a soft sigh. Removing his boots then, he set them off to the side before undressing himself so he could go shower. Throwing his clothes into a hamper, Salazar entered the bathroom before stepping into the shower. It was nice to be able to relax underneath the heated water. It washed away the aches and pains of the day. So, Salazar took his time with showering even though he knew he should be headed to bed soon so he would be well rested for the next day.

Stepping out once he was done, Salazar dried himself with a towel before going back into the bedroom. There, Eolas was waiting for him on the bed. Chuckling to himself, Salazar walked over to the bed after throwing his used towel into the hamper. Not bothering to change into anything, Salazar climbed into bed naked before gathering the blankets around him. Reaching out then, he stroked his hand over Eolas' head. Exhaustion was setting in now. He could feel it seeping into his bones.

Lying back, Salazar closed his eyes. _'How are things in the castle?'_ He hissed softly to Eolas, relaxing as he felt his familiar curl up on the bed beside him. This was their usual routine. Salazar would receive knowledge on what had happened in the castle throughout the day. Eolas was a good spy, knowing to give him only the most pertinent information. Although, he was not a docile creature by any means and so enjoyed talking back to Salazar.

'_That Dumbledore man had a meeting with his little Order after you left.' _Eolas started out, hissing softly. _'Nothing extraordinary. They were merely speaking about the attack that happened on the train. Nothing new, I am sure.' _The snake paused for a moment, shifting on the bed and coiling tighter. _'You were mentioned. What you did and how you fought was brought up. Dumbledore seemed the most interested… I would be wary of that man.'_

'_You have said that before, Eolas,' _Salazar said tiredly, though his tone was serious. He didn't know what was on Dumbledore's mind. Perhaps the man was scouting out new allies for his war against this Dark Lord of theirs? Salazar knew better than to assume, but there was something about the older wizard that set him on edge. He didn't think the old Headmaster was bad, just that he was someone to be wary of. He had time yet to figure it out.

'_Go keep an eye on my Slytherins tonight, Eolas. I will not have them sneaking out or getting in trouble on the very first day. Come fetch me if something happens,' _he ordered, his eyes still closed. Still, Salazar could hear the snake's hiss of agreement before he slithered off of the bed before disappearing. Salazar settled down into sleep then. And thankfully, his Slytherins were good and he did not rouse until morning.

((Page Break))

((Hogwarts – Past))

Godric passed a hand over his face as he lay in bed. After a few moments, he sat up before glancing over as Fawkes crooned softly. The phoenix had recently gone through a burning and was in the last stages of recovering. His young feathers were falling away, replaced by the mature feathers of an adult phoenix. His mind had returned also and wasn't taken by the instincts of a baby.

He smiled briefly at his thoughts before his expression quickly turned to horror as he suddenly recalled the events from the day before. Oh, by the ancient magic… what had they _done_? Nearly flying out of bed and startling Fawkes, Godric threw some clothes on before bolting out the door. In his hurry he didn't even pause to freshen up.

Running down to Salazar's chambers, the man then pounded on the entrance. He was thankful that it was so early so there were no students milling about. He didn't have to worry about any of them seeing the state he was in. He probably wouldn't have noticed anyways.

"Salazar! Let me in!" He prayed the man was still there, though he very much doubted it. They had given Salazar twenty four hours, but he doubted that the man would have waited that long. And really, what had they been thinking? Banishing Salazar from Hogwarts… Godric was nearly sick when he remembered the look of betrayal on his friend's face. "Salazar, please!" He yelled, trying again and hoping against hope that Salazar would miraculously still be there.

When Salazar didn't respond, Godric let out a mournful sound before running towards Rowena's rooms instead. He figured she might know what to do, though he didn't think about the possible consequences there might be for disturbing her this early. However, she did open her door after several minutes even though she did not look very happy that she had been woken so early in the morning when they didn't even have classes that day. She had stayed up late the night before after all.

Sighing in annoyance, and not quite awake yet that morning, Rowena leveled a glare at Godric. "What is it, Godric?" She asked irritably before finally taking in the man's frenzied appearance. He didn't seem to be too fazed by her attitude and it worried her. Immediately, a frown twisted her regal features. "Godric?" She quickly ushered him inside, having him sit down on a chair. Rowena opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but Godric beat her to it.

"We… we kicked him out," Godric said mournfully. "He is gone, Rowena. He is not in the castle anymore… I checked." His strong fingers moved to his hair and tugged on the strands. "Oh, Rowena… how could we have been so _stupid_?" He didn't look at the woman, though he tone was pleading his friend with unspoken words. He needed to know that she felt just as guilty as he did, but he couldn't bear to look up at her in case he was wrong.

Rowena had a strange look on her face that Godric missed because he wasn't looking at her. The woman looked a little horrified as she finally remembered what had happened the day before, but she was also a little uncertain. They would not kick Salazar out for no reason, right? She tried to reason with Godric, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself as well. "He was teaching the dark arts to the children, Godric. We couldn't let him…"

She was cut off by Godric slamming his fist into the arm of the chair he was sitting in. "Damn it, Rowena! It is no reason to banish him…" He pulled on his hair again as he anger crumbled, replaced by guilt. "I should have spoken to him properly. What is the defense of Dark Arts if one doesn't understand the art itself? We trusted Salazar to teach them properly just as I taught the Light Arts and their counters. By the gods, I have used dark spells myself! I am no Dark wizard, but nor am I fully Light. We long ago made peace with him, Rowena! So why now? And to _banish_ him!" Godric felt wracked with guilt. What was wrong with him? How could he have done that to Salazar? How could they all have betrayed him like that? He wasn't the only one to blame, but he felt that the worst guilt was on him for having been the one to tell Salazar.

Seeing the turmoil that the man had rolling about in him, Rowena hesitated before placing a dainty hand on Godric's shoulder. "We have not touched the wards yet, Godric. He can still return. Send Fawkes to him. Your familiar should be well enough to travel now, should he not? Send a letter to Salazar, asking him to come back, Perhaps we were too hasty in our judgment…" She paused before continuing. Rowena hated to be wrong about anything. "Ask him to allow us a second chance to talk to him, though we do not deserve it." She added on the last part softly.

There was barely a pause for Godric to finish processing Rowena's words before he was surging to his feet. Godric immediately started for the door, not even pausing to thank Rowena. He seemed to have some sort of inspiration then, probably brought on by what Rowena had told him. "Of course! How could I have been so stupid?"

He then nearly ran out the door, leaving Rowena alone to think about the day before. She wasn't quite in the same state as Godric was in, but she couldn't stop the deep guilt that she felt. She was supposed to be logical. She should have put more thought into the decision of banishing Salazar. It shouldn't have come to this so she was deeply concerned. Something wasn't right… and there was this deep foreboding feeling that she had. It gnawed at her, worrying her. Helga only made it worse when she visited Rowena in tears, though she wouldn't speak about what was upsetting her so badly. Rowena knew it just had to do with Salazar.

And back in his room, Godric immediately hurried over to his desk once he burst through the door so he could write out a quick note to Salazar that was full to the brim with apologies. He then gave it to Fawkes and explained what had happened. The bird gave him a disapproving look making Godric start begging his familiar to bring the note to Salazar. Godric knew that if there was anyone who could find the wizard, it was Fawkes.

Thankfully, the creature accepted the note and left with a burst of flame, leaving Godric lost in his thoughts with more to think about. Seeing how readily the phoenix left to go find Salazar sent another slice of pain to cut through Godric's heart. He knew Fawkes liked the dark haired wizard. He should have taken that into consideration. Salazar wasn't evil. Fawkes proved that. And yet… Godric had still done the unthinkable.

Slumping down on his bed, Godric called for a house elf to bring him something to eat. He might as well make some sort of attempt to set himself in order. He wanted to look at least halfway presentable when Salazar hopefully came back. And it was hard to think on an empty stomach. Still, Godric ended up eating only a little bit as he worried about when Fawkes would come back and if the phoenix would bring Salazar back with him.

But when Fawkes reappeared several hours later, Godric's note was still firmly clasped in the bird's beak and Salazar was nowhere to be seen. With a sense of foreboding that clenched his heart and stole his breath, Godric took the note from the bird. Part of him worried that Salazar was so deeply hurt that he didn't want anything to do with him anymore. But this did not prepare Godric for the truth of why Salazar hadn't received his note.

'_I could not find him, Godric Gryffindor. He has vanished and I cannot sense him.'_ Fawkes' words were blunt, but they were spoken in a gentle manner.

But the gentle tone did nothing to keep Godric from taking the news badly. His mind twisted the words, taking the meaning to be that Salazar was dead. There couldn't be any other reason why Fawkes hadn't been able to sense him, right? Immediately, many different scenarios rushed through his head as he thought about his friend lying somewhere dead. Surely his friend had not taken his own life? Or perhaps he had been killed in a rouge accident? Neither option made him feel any better. But it was the first thought that went through his head that killed Godric the most. No, he refused to believe that Salazar could have taken his own life. He refused to… but he couldn't get the image of Salazar's betrayed expression out of his head.

Immediately, Godric suddenly lurched from the bed before emptying his stomach in the chamber pot. Coughing, he spit into the metal bowl before using his wantd to vanish the mess. Moaning, he sat back before pulling on his hair in agitation. He had failed his friend… Godric trembled violently then, his expression lined with grief. No, Salazar was more than just a friend. Salazar was his brother and he had betrayed him in the worst of ways. Godric would never be able to forgive himself for that.

((End Chapter))

**Wooo-boy… that was an interesting chapter (I hope). So now then, I would appreciate it if you took time to review! Just be nice, yes? I'm just a fragile writer who is doing this for fun, not because I'm any good. Okay, maybe I'm not that bad… it would still be awesome to get some nice reviews though. Pretty please?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Edit: Yikes, some of these are very long. But just mentioning to everyone that this chapter has been edited thought there are not many edits that I have made in this particular chapter. For old readers, I hope you enjoy the changes and new readers, I hope you are enjoying reading my story for the first time! Carry on then!**

**PLEASE READ****: I received a review not too long ago, mentioning that the anonymous person was removing my story from their reading list because this was going to be a slash. I am sorry to see you go because of a misunderstanding. ****VERY IMPORTANT: This is NOT going to be a slash.**** There will not even be any romance between main characters. I thought I made this very clear, but apparently I wasn't clear enough. That, or the person misunderstood me. I said that I was going with option C, which is 'no romance'. (Perhaps we'll have some one sided crushes, but there aren't going to be any actual pairings for the main characters.) Salazar and Godric, in this story, are like brothers, not lovers. They were very close, comfortable around each other.**

**Now that I have gotten that out of the way, let us continue with the next chapter! Oh, and I swear I have fanfiction ADD or something. I get distracted by other genres before eventually coming back… sorry! It also doesn't help that I have writer's block. I am at point A and I know what I want as point B. But… I am having trouble getting to the filler between the two points! Please have patience my dear readers… I will not abandon you! (Even though I tend to have too long pauses between chapters)**

**Oh, and I will be keeping some things canon, like the horcruxes, but not everything will stay canon. You will find out what I mean soon enough, of course.**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own this, no matter how much I would like to. Not that I would likely gain any money from it anyways.**

**Last time:**

_'__Go keep an eye on my Slytherins tonight, Eolas. I will not have them sneaking out or getting in trouble on the very first day. Come fetch me if something happens,'__he ordered, his eyes still closed. Still, Salazar could hear the snake's hiss of agreement before he slithered off of the bed before disappearing. Salazar settled down into sleep then. And thankfully, his Slytherins were good and he did not rouse until morning._

**Chapter Five**

Salazar was up early the next morning as he normally was. After he had slid out of bed, he had taken his time in getting ready for the day before he headed to the Great Hall. Not many students were there and most of them were the older students. All looked sleepy and most didn't seem to be pleased to be up so early. Salazar smiled to himself in amusement as he served himself some of the food that had just appeared. Not many teachers were there either so it was perfectly quiet. As the children trickled in, he stood up before going to pass out the schedules for his students. For those who did not appear at breakfast right away, he cast a spell on their parchments so they would receive them. He would not have any of them late for their classes. He then returned to his chair to finish his breakfast.

After his meal, Salazar stood and made his way out of the hall with his robes swirling after him. Heading down into his dungeons, he stopped at his classroom before stepping inside. With a sweep of his wand, he rearranged the desks more to his liking. Then going over to the students' supply cupboard, he spent some time rearranging some of the vials. Snape kept it fairly well organized and kept the ingredients fresh, but it never hurt to double check. He could also make note of which ingredients would need to be restocked. It passed the time until the first students arrived.

When the students first started trickling into the classroom, Salazar was sitting at his desk. "I want you all to stand next to the wall," he said once all of the kids had arrived and taken a seat. They kept themselves separated, the Gryffindors on one side of the room and the Slytherins on the other side. Sighing, Salazar stood up and picked up a piece of parchment.

"Now then," he drawled before calling out the first name on the list. Once the small boy answered, Salazar directed him to a seat. "This will be your seat for the year," he instructed all of the first years. "I do not care if you do not like the person you are seated next to. You will learn to get along for the sake of the class or risk detention, perhaps even failure of the class." Salazar warned the class of first years sternly as he directed each student to their assigned seat.

Once all the students were seated, Salazar ignored their glares towards their partners. He had paired the students up so they were all working with a student of the opposite House. He didn't care if they were not pleased by the development. So instead of addressing the tense atmosphere, he set the parchment down on his desk before gathering up a stack of paper. "Now then. I know that most of you will know nothing about potions. But I am not foolish enough to believe that all of you are entirely clueless. As such, I will be handing out these quizzes. I want you all to work on it for the rest of the period. When you are finished, you may place the quiz on my desk before leaving. This quiz will not affect your grade in anyway, but will let me accurately gauge where all of you stand."

Salazar started passing out the quizzes face down. He then moved to the front of the room. "Your homework will be written on the board. You may start," he instructed before watching as the children turned over the quizzes to get started. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned and then went to the board to write out their homework. He wanted them to read the first two chapters of their book before writing an essay on the importance of how ingredients were handled.

After writing the last of the assignment, Salazar settled himself down in his desk. "Mister Rainwood? I do not tolerate cheaters in my class. This is your only warning. Do your own work," the man said lightly as he shuffled some paper on his desk. He didn't even look up. And thankfully, it was the only warning he needed to give. So he returned to the work on his desk as he waited for the first years to turn in their quizzes.

Once all of the children had left, Salazar sighed and shook his head. He had fifteen minutes until his next class came. This time it was second year Gryffindor and Slytherin students. He was going to have a more interesting time with this group, he knew. They were more set in their ways. And who knew just what they had managed to retain… they certainly would not be at the level he wanted them at if Snape's syllabus was anything to be believed.

Rubbing his face, he stood up went around the room to tidy up quickly before his next class came. And five minutes before class, they started trickling in. Salazar went to his spot at the front of the room and erased the board. He marked something on a parchment before watching the students silently as they walked in and took their seats. They sat segregated, something he had had already known they would do. But they also all shot him little glances while whispering amongst their friends. Salazar said nothing.

But once the last of the students had taken their seat, Salazar stood up. "Stand against the wall," he ordered, repeating the process that he had gone through with the first years. And as he directed them to their new seats, he received many more complaints. Looking at them all sternly, he spoke in a tone of voice that told them that he wasn't about to change his mind. "I do not care what you think of your fellow students. You will learn to get along with them for the sake of this class. I would hate to give you all detention or fail you because you could not set aside silly rivalries."

He turning on his heel and gathered up the quizzes that he had created for the students. "Now then. As I do not know you or know what you are capable of, I have taken the liberty of drawing up a test for you. It shall not affect your grade at all, but I ask that you take this seriously. You will find there are hard questions and easy questions, but do what you can. When you are finished, place them on my desk and then you may leave. Do not forget to check the board for your homework," he warned as he passed out the parchment.

Returning to the front, he nodded then. "You may begin." After watching as they turned over their quizzes, Salazar turned to the chalkboard to write out their assignment. He returned to his desk then to start going over the quizzes from the previous class.

The rest of the day followed in this pattern with Salazar only pausing once for the hour lunch break. He remained in his classroom though, having a house elf bring him food as he worked on the quizzes. He was gaining an idea of where to start, but it was a very grim picture. The students, first years aside, were not at the standard he liked to set. He understood that things would change over the years… but these students were barely learning potions! He was going to lose precious time trying to reteach them facts they should already know. Even the seventh years were having problems and it made him grimace to think how he was going to correct some of the problems.

Of course, there was a silver lining in all of this. In his own time, he would not have been able to assign written work for quite some time. Many children entered Hogwarts not knowing how to read or write. They would have had to take special classes for that. But now, the students came into school already knowing how to read and write at least the basics. Although… there were a few seventh year quizzes that had made him grimace at the horrendous writing. He was going to have to speak to the Headmaster about it…

"Professor Evans?" A quiet voice spoke from the doorway, breaking Salazar from his thoughts. Seeing one of his little snakelings, he smiled and ushered the boy in.

"Mister Macalister, is it?" Salazar said gently as he stood up and rounded the desk. "Is there something that I can help you with?" He asked curiously. "It is nearly dinnertime." The small boy shifted nervously, looking towards his feet. Salazar smiled then. "Chin up, lad. I am not going to harm you."

The boy straightened slightly before biting his lip. "You said… we could always come to you if we need you, right?" He asked, fidgeting even as he looked Salazar almost in the eyes.

Bending down, Salazar led the boy over to a chair before having him sit down. "Of course, snakeling." He didn't say anything else, waiting for the boy to continue speaking. It was best to say little as most children would eventually try to fill the silence with something. Usually, they spoke about what they needed or what bothered them.

But Macalister said nothing and instead held out a crumbled piece of parchment. Salazar raised an eyebrow before taking the piece of paper. The boy was finally prompted to speak at the wordless question. "It's from my parents, sir. I wrote to them last night… I got that during lunch," he spoke quietly, looking back down towards the ground again.

Salazar frowned before opening up the crumbled letter. He read it carefully, his eyes narrowing in anger as he went through the written lines. Eventually, he set the letter down on the desk beside him before sinking to his knees next to Rory Macalister. He flicked his wand to lock the door so they would not be disturbed before taking the boy's hands into his own. "Mister Macalister… Rory. Look at me, son," he urged quietly. When the boy finally looked up at him, Salazar offered a small smile. He had always had a soft spot for the students… he thought of them as his children.

"You have done nothing wrong," he spoke softly, but firmly. "You should be proud to be a Slytherin. If your parents cannot be happy for you, then that is their loss. Being a Slytherin doesn't make you a bad wizard, like they try to make you believe. It means you have ambition, that you are intelligent but will not believe everything at face value. You know to look for the truth." He smiled again and squeezed Rory's hands. "We are your family now, little snakeling. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. It is here that you can make your true friends as well," he promised before standing up.

"Come to me again if you are sent anymore letters like that one, okay? And be proud of who you are." Salazar unlocked the door and then ruffled the first year's hair. "Now then… did you have any other questions? Perhaps about any homework you may have gotten? I might teach potions, but I know a thing or two about other subjects," he winked.

Rory giggled before shaking his head. "No, sir." He then offered the professor a smile. "Thank you, sir. For listening. I should go to dinner now… I am starving!"

Salazar chuckled as he led Rory over to the door. There was the boldness of youth that he had been waiting for. Even his Slytherins and all of their masks could not hide what was human nature while at such a young age. "Good lad. Off you go then. And make sure you finish your homework on time!" He said sternly, a faint smile curling his lips.

Once the boy had gone off, Salazar burned the letter that had been forgotten on his desk. The first years were more trusting, but he was glad that Rory had come to him. He liked being able to help his students… and he had sensed that there were several that would need his help. But he had to wait for them to come to him or he could not help them. The older years would be harder to convince.

Shaking his head, Salazar glared at the pile of ash before he vanished it. This wasn't the first time that he had seen a letter like that. It wasn't going to be the last either, he was sure of that. But he would help his students just like he always did. Gathering up the quizzes together, he put them in a leather binder with the rest of his notes for his classes. Salazar banished it to his office before following the familiar pathways to the Great Hall.

As he settled into his seat, he was greeted by a smile from Dumbledore. The old man's eyes were twinkling. "Good evening, Eolas. How was your first day of classes?" He asked curiously before sipping at something from his goblet.

Sighing, Salazar loaded his plate with food before pinching the bridge of his nose. "I have yet to finish grading the quizzes I gave my students… but I do have my work cut out for me." He shook his head. Narrowing his eyes then, Salazar looked over to Dumbledore with piercing eyes. "I have something I wish to discuss with you as well, Headmaster. If you would mind speaking with me after our meal with the other Heads of Houses, I have some things that I want to bring up."

Dumbledore watched the younger man curiously before inclining his head. "Of course. Perhaps we could meet in my office?" He asked with a smile before returning to his meal. Salazar merely nodded before going back to his own meal, ignoring attempts from other professors to start up conversation. He was busy readying in his mind what it was he wanted to say.

((Page Break))

"What was it that you wanted to speak about, Eolas?" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling, though they hid a calculating gleam. It was obvious that he was a little wary of him, but that infuriating twinkle put Salazar on edge. He could swear the man knew something he wasn't saying. Still, Salazar could not say that he was surprised that Dumbledore was cautious even after accepting him into Hogwarts as a teacher. He was an unknown after all. They had every right to be wary of him in this time of war.

Shaking off his thoughts, Salazar laid out a few books on top of Dumbledore's desk. "In my research, in preparation for my classes, I found some mentions of previous classes that were held on Hogwarts grounds." He pointed out the areas he had highlighted with a temporary spell. "I wish to express my concern over the fact that they have been dropped."

Salazar frowned slightly as he stood back. "My first concern is the lack of a general language class. I am sure you all can agree that many of the students have absolutely atrocious handwriting." Salazar grimaced. "There are spelling errors, grammatical errors… and most of the time I feel like I am deciphering some barbarian code!" He shook his head then, ignoring the frowns that he was getting. He could see the understanding in their eyes, though. "My understanding is that every student arrives knowing at least the basics of reading and writing, but nothing is done to help them improve on such skills. So, I propose that a language class is established."

With one proposal out of the way, Salazar paused to allow the other Heads to discuss the idea with the Headmaster. Professor McGonagall was the most vocal in her distaste of the new idea. "Albus! There is no time to add in such a class. I can understand the merits of helping students with their language skills, but surely we can have the teachers just start proofreading the children's homework."

Salazar cut in then. "And then each of the professors will have less time as well," he spoke smoothly. "If each of us takes the time to correct every mistake, it shall double the time it would take to grade. I do not know about you, but I enjoy my sleep. And besides, it does not solve the problem if the children do not understand why they are being corrected. I believe that purebloods are likely to hire tutors for their students, but what of students with mundane parents? I do not know every child's situation, but it is my understanding that many do not have the finance or resource for tutors over summer holidays. A language class would benefit the students well beyond Hogwarts."

"There is already too much on everyone's minds! Think of the war, Professor Evans! Many of these children have family that is directly involved! They do not have time for more to be put on their plate! We'll see an increase on stress induced breakdowns!" She countered, waving her hand.

Opening his mouth to retaliate, Salazar was interrupted by Professor Flitwick. "If I may, Minerva… I think it is a good idea. My Ravenclaws are exceptionally well learned, as my House is known for, but many of them could benefit from such a new class. I could say the same for many students, especially muggleborns. Nothing against them, of course, but they do not have the resources like the Purebloods do, just as Professor Evans said. They do not have private tutors at home like the Purebloods do. Hogwarts was made to teach magical children how to survive in the world. Isn't this another important step for them, a war or not?" The small professor seemed to flush slightly as he finished speaking.

Salazar smiled thinly, deciding he liked the man. He at least had his priorities straightened out. There may be war looming, but Hogwarts was supposed to be safe and was supposed to be a school. They could not abandon that, war or not. The children needed to be taught… and they needed a sense of normalcy to go along with it. They needed a distraction. "We can take turns teaching them if need be, so another professor need not be hired. Schedules can easily enough be adapted. I know there are free periods students normally have that we can use to our advantage."

Sprout nodded thoughtfully before smiling. "I am inclined to agree, Headmaster. While the war has everyone more than just a tad stressed, I can agree that that the new class is something that would be beneficial to the students." She nodded, folding her hands in her lap.

Nodding his head in thanks, Salazar then glanced over to the Headmaster. That had certainly gone better than he thought it would. Of course, the Headmaster had the final say so it was hard to say exactly how it would turn out. But thankfully, Dumbledore finally inclined his head in agreement. Next came the hard part of his suggestions… it was much more delicate than his first proposition had been.

"We can make arrangements for a language class. There should not be any scheduling conflicts as dueling classes will be held after dinner for the different years," Dumbledore said thoughtfully as he regarded Salazar. "Was there anything else you wanted to bring up? You mentioned that there was more than one class that you regretted had been dropped from Hogwarts' curriculum."

Salazar swallowed surreptitiously before nodding his head. "We all know that mundane born students bring new blood into the bloodlines and keep magic strong. However, I fear that we are losing our traditions." Salazar quickly held up a hand when the others quickly stood to protest. There was a suspicious gleam in Dumbledore's eyes that Salazar didn't like. So, he was quick to continue speaking. "Hear me out, if you would," he spoke before clearing his throat. "Our world benefits from the new ideas and the new blood that the mundane born children bring. However, I have noticed that a division has grown between the different factions in this silly war, reflecting the views of society. You all know what I am talking about."

Frowning then, Salazar flipped the pages of a book. "There is a class called muggle studies, muggles being the popular term for mundanes," he muttered the last part before waving his hand in dismissal. "Anyways… there is no such class on wizarding studies. How many mundane born children come into our world not knowing our laws, our traditions?" Salazar paused then, looking at each Head with a grim look. "I am not saying we teach them Pureblood supremacy, which is not what this is. Rather, I suggest that we prepare our students, Pureblood and mundane born alike, for the outside world. The wizarding world has a rich culture… but it is causing a divide because it is not being taught properly."

McGonagall looked practically livid and Salazar was not looking forward to the conversation that he knew was about to follow. "No! Absolutely not!" The woman nearly screeched, vaguely reminding Salazar of the mother of a mundane born child he had gone to invite to Hogwarts. A young man with the surname of Ross, if he remembered correctly… Shaking off the memories, he frowned at the Gryffindor Head before inquiring as to her reasons she was rejecting her proposal. He was trying to be civil about it all, understanding that there had been years of unease and the chasm was always widening. She glared at him in response. "The old beliefs are barbaric and outdated!"

Salazar immediately cut in smoothly, his voice cold. "Have you ever attended a proper ritual, Professor?" He asked, regarding her with his deep green eyes. Brushing absently at his bangs then to smooth them out against his forehead, he gave her a dark look. "Have you ever actually studied some of the old traditions?" Godric had been the one to teach him the basics since he could not remember if he had been taught in his youth. They were an integral part of him now… had been a deep part of Hogwarts. It had pained him when he had realized that many traditions had been discontinued during the early 19th century.

Groaning softly then, a show of emotion he hoped to make him seem less cold, Salazar rubbed his nose. "Do none of you know what I am talking about? Just because it is something the Pureblood practice does not make it evil or some supremacy agenda." He took a deep breath before looking around at them all with a frown.

McGonagall was whispering furiously into Dumbledore's ear, a tight look on her face. The old man had his head tilted; listening to what the woman had to say. His expression was impassive, but there was a distrustful look hidden in his eyes. There was also some strange emotion that Salazar could not begin to decipher. Perhaps… nostalgia? No, that could not be right. Shaking it off, Salazar glanced over to the other two. Sprout was looking uncomfortable, looking at them all with a pleading look on her face. Salazar could tell she didn't want them to start fighting. Flitwick just looked pensive. For a moment, Sprout reminded him uncomfortably of Helga. This situation was quickly following a worse path than he had originally had thought.

"I am not trying to suggest that we force views on the young children. I merely think that they will benefit from being able to see all viewpoints. They do not have to believe everything they are taught… at the very least they can learn more about our rich history." Salazar had always been passionate about the welfare of the students even with his cold exterior, knowing just what sort of lives they came from and how it affected their young minds. He wondered just how many mundane born children even now came in believing they were devils because they could do magic. They could find a place here, Salazar always made sure of it. "Mundanes have their Christianity. I have seen the worthiness of the religion, but they are human and they believe that magic is evil. They fear who we are. I fear that children born of mundane parents enter Hogwarts believing they are freaks, are devils for having a power gifted to us by Magic."

Salazar looked over their faces, watching as they considered his idea. But suddenly, he was transported back in his memories. This situation was eerily reminiscent of another… In place of Professor Sprout, Salazar saw the face of Helga. Both appeared to be uncertain women, and not willing to speak their minds when confronted by this sort of situation. Though Helga had been strong in spirit, she found it difficult to act against those she loved. In Flitwick's spot, he saw Rowena. Both had brilliant minds, but were set in their ways and it took much to convince them to relieve there could be more than one truth in the world.

And in McGonagall's spot, he saw Godric. That same fury and distaste… Salazar stiffened and gathered the books he had brought, carefully stacking them in his arms. He could not stand here any longer with the memories starting to press down around him. "It was only a suggestion that I wanted to put forward. I merely thought that it would benefit the children to learn about their heritage," he spoke stiffly before turning towards the door. "I apologize if you thought I was out of line. I have some work to attend to in preparation for my classes tomorrow, so I shall take my leave. May you all have a good night."

Without waiting for any of them to protest, Salazar swept out of the office with his cloak billowing behind him. He quickly stalked to his quarters and muttered the password. Swiftly entering, he dumped his books onto his desk before being forced to grab onto the chair with curled hands.

_"Salazar Slytherin, you are hereby banished from Hogwarts."_

The words echoed in his mind, taunting him. Swallowing thickly, Salazar fought to not be sick. He hadn't dealt with this. He'd gone straight to his brother to defeat him and had been almost immediately transported to the future. He had too many other things to deal with, had only raged without really stopping to think about what happened. But now, it was all crashing down upon him.

He had been betrayed by all of them… everyone that he held dear. His brother had betrayed him by falling down a dark path. His friends… Helga, Rowena, _Godric_… They had all gone behind his back and cast him out of the very school that he had helped build. They hadn't even stopped to hear him out.

'_You need to calm down, Salazar Slytherin. Hogwarts is reacting to her founder's pain,' _Fawkes voice suddenly cut through Salazar's tumbling thoughts.

Immediately, the man was brought back to awareness and he realized that the castle was trembling faintly. Salazar immediately clamped down on his emotions. Clearing his throat then, he straightened and slowly dragged his fingers away from their death grip on the back of the chair. Immediately they began to throb with the return of proper blood flow, but Salazar ignored it. "They all abandoned me, Fawkes," he whispered, his voice carefully void of emotion. It didn't stop the pain slipping into his eyes.

'_After you left…'_ Fawkes started, but Salazar cut off the bird with a violent movement of his hand.

"That is enough! I do not want to hear you make excuses for them. I do not want to hear about them… I do not wish to speak to you," Salazar said sharply before turning on his heel. "Be gone, Fawkes. I will not let my emotions get out of control again," he said before slamming the bedroom door shut behind him.

Slowly undressing, Salazar fought to keep his thoughts blank. Stopping in front of the mirror then, Salazar brushed his bangs to the side to reveal the scar upon his forehead. He had had it since as long as he could remember, though it had started to fade over the years. Now though, it was coming back… Sighing in irritation, he found more cream to treat the wound. He still hadn't been able to do much research on what was happening and he hadn't bothered to ask anyone about it.

Putting the ointment away then, Salazar fixed his bangs so the scar was hidden again. Feeling better now that the scar was out of sight, he turned and went to draw himself a bath. Setting into the heated water, he relaxed with a sigh. Running his hands over his face then, the private man gave a wry smile. He was so tired… Everything here was still new, still so different from what he remembered. And yet… it felt like history was repeating itself again. Would they kick him out of Hogwarts? His only home?

Sitting up, Salazar washed himself slowly before climbing out of the tub. He dried off with a quick spell before dressing himself. Heading to bed, he sighed softly before climbing underneath the covers. It was there that Eolas joined him and softly told him of everything that had gone on in the castle. After thanking the serpent, Salazar drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

((Page Break))

The next morning, Salazar was reluctant to head to the Great Hall. But not wanting to be seen as a coward, and he wasn't… even if it was an attribute that wasn't widely recognized in the private man. Godric had been known for bravery, not Salazar. But just because he was supposed to be cunning didn't mean that he wasn't brave. He just knew when to pick and choose his fights, that's all. But he was rambling in his own mind… a sure sign that he was nervous. Not that he would ever admit that, of course.

Pushing open the doors to the Great Hall, Salazar slipped towards his seat before settling in the rigid chair. It was blessfully grounding… He then started to gather his breakfast before freezing when he felt Dumbledore's gaze on him. Ignoring the gaze as best as he could, Salazar started on his breakfast again as a distraction. Dumbledore cleared his throat then, intending on getting Salazar's attention. Silently steeling himself, Salazar looked over to the headmaster with impassive eyes. "Yes?" He drawled, his expression carefully blank and yet somehow guarded.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "We have come to the decision that we will add in the language class as you suggested. However, we will draw the line at creating a Wizarding studies class as well. There is too much that could go wrong," he frowned briefly for a moment before settling back into his grandfatherly persona. "I do understand you concerns, but now is not the time for such a class."

Nodding stiffly, Salazar took a drink from his goblet after a quick sniff of the contents. "Of course, Headmaster. I can understand where you are coming from. Now, if you will excuse me, I have little time before I need to go prepare for this morning's classes." He had a double period with the seventh year students. There were woefully few of them, but he knew now where he was going to start with them in their studies.

So after eating his breakfast quickly, Salazar stood quickly and made his way down to his classroom. He was just beginning to go through his papers when the door opened. Looking up, he was vaguely surprised to see that Zabini was standing there. "Is there something you needed? I didn't expect you to be in the castle today," he said, standing from his chair. He knew the other male was preparing to go on a mission for the Order, though he didn't know any details. He hadn't been told and Eolas hadn't been able to find anything out. He just knew that the other male would be leaving soon. "Do not tell me that you are going to miss me," he teased.

Snorting, Zabini closed the door and shrugged his shoulders. "Of course not. But I know you will be so lonely here without me, so I could not just leave without saying goodbye," he smirked in return. The younger man then leaned against the door. "I just wanted to say that it will probably be awhile before I come back. Dumbledore has me on a mission that I cannot really explain, and I do not know how long I'll be gone." He pushed away from the door then and walked over to Salazar. "We might have only just met, but I've enjoyed our time together. If Slytherins had friends, we would be good ones," he winked with an amused smirk.

Salazar was quiet as he watched Zabini approach him. He could not let himself have friends… he remembered what it had done to him in the past. But he could agree that Zabini was a very good companion. He had a quick wit that made conversation entertaining. He also knew when to respect his privacy, to not be too trusting. "Maybe in another life," Salazar commented finally and held his hand out to Zabini. He clasped the man's forearm then and gave a sharp nod. "Take care of yourself, Zabini."

Pulling away, Salazar went back to his work. Zabini quietly let himself out under Salazar's watchful eye. The man then went back to his work completely, though his mind kept wandering to the mission that Zabini had left on. It bothered him for some reason, though he understood why he would not be included in the details. He had never been the seer… that was all Helga. But he felt ominous tidings in the air. It didn't sit well with him.

But clearing his thoughts away in time for the beginning of class, Salazar decided to think more on it later.

((Page Break))

"Nua gealach!" Salazar hissed the password to the door to Slytherin dormitories, nearly slipping into actual Parseltongue. When the wall finally slid open, Salazar stormed in and cast a spell to make the door slam shut. "What is going on in here?" He demanded, his accent much more pronounced in his anger.

Many of the students were looking at him with barely hidden surprise or fear. None of them had seen their professor this mad. They hadn't been in school long, of course, but he had seemed like a very cool headed man. One somewhat brave soul finally piped up from a corner of the room, near one of the staircases to the actual dorms. "I am sorry, professor… I do not understand what you are asking," she started out but was quickly cut off by Salazar.

"Do not lie to me! I told you all to settle disputes in secret," he growled at them, his dark green eyes narrowing. "But what do the wards tell me? That there is a disturbance in my Common room." He then held up a hand. "I do not know what your previous head of House did, but I will not tolerate bullying! And _that_ is what the wards alerted me to."

A weak voice spoke up then, "Wards can do that?" Salazar realized it was a halfhearted attempt to change the subject and perhaps calm him down.

Glaring in the direction of the speaker, Salazar waved his hand. "Yes. It's a complex spell that monitors the emotions of those present. It also monitors the level of participation in a dispute and the number involved. Not perfect, but it has its uses," he explained briefly, his eyes roaming over the students present. "So I ask you again… what is going on in here?" His voice was demanding and almost deceptively soft.

Finally, a boy lifted his head and sneered slightly. "The brat over there is a mudblood, professor. We were only trying to teach him his place," the fifth year gestured over to a corner of the room where a small first year was curled up in a corner.

Salazar barely held back his temper. "I would have thought better of my House," he spook coolly before going over to the corner. Bending down, he then hoisted the too small child into his arms. Salazar then sneered at the surrounding students. "Starting tomorrow night, there will be mandatory lessons following dinner each Wednesday. I will make a formal announcement in the morning, but all of you are required to attend." Salazar paused. "You will not breathe a word of this to any other professors… Am I understood?"

Barely even waiting for them to respond, Salazar strode toward the door. "Oh, and Mister Fellwood? You shall be serving detention with me this coming Friday after dinner. Meet me in the Potion classroom and do not be late. I do not condone bullying." Salazar then quickly disappeared out the door.

Taking the young student to his own quarters, Salazar gently set him down on the couch in the front room that served as an office. "Mister Wolfe is it?" He smiled softly then, carefully brushing some blonde hair away from the boy's face so he could look at a bruise that was forming on the boy's cheek. "It is alright. Let me take a look at it, if you would."

Standing up, Salazar went to get a bottle of salve. He then carefully opened it up and rubbed some into the boy's cheek. "There. It will help with the swelling and make the bruising heal faster." Standing up again, Salazar went to put the salve away. "You know… being a good wizard has nothing to do with the purity of one's blood. I will explain it more in the classes I will be giving the House." He turned then to look at the student. Ian had a guarded, but slightly hopeful, look on his face. "Be proud that you are a wizard, that you are a Slytherin. Make me proud, hm?"

Salazar smiled slightly and sat down on the edge of a table. "You do not have to go back to the dormitory tonight, if you do not wish to. Instead, you may sleep in the guest bedroom. My actual rooms are locked, but you may stay here for a little while longer before you go to bed. If you need anything, just call for Tizzy. She is a creature called a House elf and she would be happy to get you anything you needed. Just call her name if you need her." He had added on the guest room for this exact purpose. He knew that most professors would not allow a student into their rooms, for obvious reasons, but Salazar was always a little different. He knew that sometimes his Slytherins needed a place to get away from even those of their own House. He had placed plenty of wards on the rooms so they were perfectly safe for everyone.

"I need to go patrol the corridors tonight for a few hours, so try not to go to bed too late." He pointed towards a door. "That heads to the main part of my chambers so the door is locked. Over there is the door to the guest room. There is a bathroom as well. Sleep well, Mister Wolfe." Salazar nodded to the first year before straightening. He headed to the door, but Ian's soft voice stopped him.

"Sir? I… thank you," the boy tripped over his words before finally straightening his back and clearing his throat. Smiling, Salazar only nodded to him. He then slipped out the door before tapping his wand against the entrance. It activated a few more of the wards to make sure that Ian would stay safe. Salazar would also know if Ian left.

Satisfied, Salazar left to go on his rounds. He would have rather not left Ian, but he could check on the boy later when he came back. The few snakes carved into various spots around the rooms could pass along messages in case anything drastic happened. He knew that it would be safe for now. Ian seemed like a strong child at least. And while he really did not condone bullying, this at least would give him an excuse to set up an extra class for his students. They likely weren't going to be pleased with him, and it was going to take some time before he could get them to actually listen to what he would be telling them, but maybe he could make a difference.

Salazar was pulled from his thoughts when he heard soft voices. Dousing the light of his wand, the man started along the hallway before coming upon a little broom cupboard just beneath a set of stairs that led up into one of the towers. Rolling his eyes at the predictability of young students, Salazar grabbed a hold of the handle before wrenching it open. He opened his mouth to speak in a stern voice, but dizziness suddenly washed over him and he was unable to continue. Pressing a hand against his forehead, Salazar staggered. Unbidden images of a cupboard under the stairs came to his mind. It was small and dusty… a child's drawing was pinned to the wall.

"Ah… Professor?" A young girl's voice broke through whatever it was that had taken over him. Salazar passed a hand over his face before slowly opening his eyes. When he was able to focus again, he saw that the two students he had caught were looking at him with a mixture of nervousness and worry. The girl was wearing Hufflepuff robes. Leave it to good old Hufflepuff to be worried over their teacher when they had just been caught out after curfew. "Do you want us to help you to the infirmary, Professor?" The girl asked again, breaking through his rambling thoughts.

Salazar waved his hand and cleared his throat. "No need to worry about me, young lady. Just the side effects of a headache." He paused then before narrowing his eyes. "However… you should be more worried about yourselves. Ten points each from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for being out after curfew. If you are caught again, be sure that you will be both given a detention. Now straight off to bed," he warned them sternly before making sure that they both scrambled off in the directions of their common rooms.

Once they were gone, Salazar looked back at the broom closet. He frowned before closing the door firmly. Turning with a sweep of his robes then, the man continued his trek through the quiet halls of the school. At least it would have been quiet except for the snoring of the portraits. Some of the irritants were quite loud, much to Salazar's chagrin.

Nothing else happened that night and Salazar was able to head back to his room finally. He spoke the password before stepping through the door. Rubbing his face tiredly, he smiled when he saw that Ian was nowhere to be seen. He knew the boy hadn't left, so he was likely in bed. Glad that there didn't seem to be any problems, Salazar passed through the room before he opened the door to his rooms and stepped inside. He closed the door before locking it again. The man looked around with a sigh, finding a clock. Ingenious devices really… It was pretty late, though. It was time for bed.

Making his way through past the couch in front of the fireplace, Salazar then rounded the dining table before opening the door to his bedroom. He got ready for bed quickly before retiring without much trouble. He was asleep with minutes.

When Salazar woke up early the next morning, he rolled out of bed before going to get a shower. Once he felt clean, the man dried himself off with a spell before getting dressed. Inspecting the scar on his forehead in the mirror, he frowned when he saw that it was starting to look like a new scar and it wasn't healing like he had hoped it would after the incident when he had first arrived at the school. It hadn't bothered him in the last day or so besides a few random twinges of pain, but something was going on. Putting some more cream on it, Salazar then rearranged his hair so the mark was covered. He had already learned that glamour spells didn't work, so he knew it was some sort of curse mark. He had more research to do on it, and to perhaps find a modern way of hiding the mar on his otherwise perfect complexion.

After straightening his robes, Salazar cast a quick spell to keep his hair relatively in place. It was much better than that gel that young boys in this era seemed to prefer. Snorting to himself at the thought, Salazar made his way out of the room and through his sitting room. Locking the door behind him, Salazar then headed over to his desk. This room was like a second office. It was much more comfortable and had easier access to his rooms than his office just off of his potions' classroom. He had rather liked this new arrangement of his rooms and had thanked the castle for help in changing things around.

He was working on grading some homework when Ian appeared in the doorway. The boy was rubbing at his eyes. Chuckling, Salazar stopped what he was writing. "Good morning, Mister Wolfe. Did you sleep well last night?" He asked, making the boy jump a bit since he hadn't been expecting the man to be there.

"Ah… I did, sir. I was just on my way back to the dormitory. I need my books and a change of clothes before classes today," he said a bit shyly at first before gaining a little bit of confidence at the end. Salazar nodded in approval. "Good. Now just remember that if you ever need anything, my door is open for you." He then sent the boy off.

Once Ian had left, Salazar pulled out a piece of parchment before starting to write out a letter. Once he was done, he multiplied it several times before putting a few spells over the stack of parchment. Once he was satisfied, Salazar called for Tizzy and asked for the elf to put the letters on each of the beds of the students. The letters were informing the students of the extra tutoring that would start right after dinner on Wednesdays when none of his students had astronomy lessons or dueling classes right after dinner. So it would be starting that night. Satisfied that his students would get the letters, Salazar stood up and headed out for breakfast.

((Page Break))

Salazar was patiently waiting in the common room for the students when they came back from dinner that night. Once he was sure that they were all there, he led the way over to a tapestry of his personal crest. He whispered the password before pulling the tapestry aside to reveal a door. Opening it, he ushered the students inside. As soon as they stepped in, the torches on the outer walls flared into life. The students all started whispering as they crowded around. Salazar closed the door to the hidden room before ushering them to find seats. "Go on, go on."

The room was set up like a lecture hall with a few sets of stairs descending towards the bottom. There were three levels wrapping around in a circle each with its own continuous set of benches and desks. The most fascinating part of the room was the ceiling. Since the room was completely under the Black Lake like most of the dormitory was, he had built a glass dome for the secret classroom. The students could see fish and various creatures swimming by.

"It's fascinating what secrets the castle holds," Salazar commented once the students were in their seats. The man descended the stairs to the lowest level before turning to survey the students scattered around in the seats. There were woefully few of them… Shaking his head, he then cleared his throat. "How many here of you are Purebloods?" He asked then, raising his voice just enough to be heard by all of the students. Most of them raised their hands. Salazar nodded before asking who were half-bloods. A few students reluctantly raised their hands. And when he asked who were muggleborns, only three students raised their hands very reluctantly.

Nodding his head, Salazar pulled off his outer robe before setting it down on the small desk just off to the side. "Very good. Now then… The reason why I am giving you these extra lesson. I want each and every one of you to understand that blood status means nothing." He then raised his hand, silencing the protests. "Even if you do not believe me, I want you all at least to listen to what I say," he told them sternly. "Blood has nothing to do with magical power. Muggleborns in fact bring new blood and fresh power into the bloodlines. The only thing that Purebloods have over muggleborns is magical knowledge. But why do you think that this school was built, if not to teach every young witch or wizard that walks through these walls?" He just wished the Headmaster would allow him to teach the entire school the old class of wizarding studies. But since he was not allowed, and they would not even be bringing in a new professor for it, Salazar was going to take it on himself to at least teach his own House in secret. It was a very dangerous line he was crossing. If the professors found out what he was doing… it could be like the past all over again. He did not want to be exiled from Hogwarts. He didn't think he would survive if he did. But this was important… and he had always put his students before himself. He was never going to learn his lesson, was he?

"I want you all to come here every Wednesday, like I instructed in those letters I sent you all. And you are not to tell any of the other professors what you are doing. There is a secrecy spell on this room which will help you to keep the secret. It will not stop you from telling, but it will make it harder to speak about it so you have a chance to think before you speak. I would hope my Slytherins will be able to keep a secret that will help you get ahead of all of your classmates from the other Houses." He hoped the last part would appeal to their secretive and ambitious nature. If, that is, his Slytherins still had that nature…

Pulling out his wand, Salazar flicked it sharply before waving it. Books appeared in front of every student. "The pages are all blank. You may write your notes for this class on the pages. It will keep it hidden from the eyes of others beside you. You need only to sign your name in the cover. Guard them well… I will not be giving you another one if you manage to get it confiscated or lose it." They had taken all of his lunch and dinner period to finish them all since he had enchanted them himself.

"There will be no textbooks for this class, so I expect all of you to take good notes. I will be starting at the very beginning for all of you. If you know this information, you may help your House mates who may not understand as well." Salazar swished his wand again so inkwells appeared in front of the students. He put his wand away then before waiting for the students to be ready. Once he had their attention, he started to speak of the origins of the wizarding world. He had always been fascinated by history and the information had been readily available back in his own time. Now he could pass it on to the future era students. After all, a lot of the resources from his time had now been lost.

"Tell me… how many of you have heard the story of the origin of magic?" Salazar asked curiously but no one raised their hands. Salazar nodded as he had expected this. "Yes, I thought so. So how many of you know the Christian tale of how the world was created? You need not to believe in it, I only ask if you have heard the story." Most, if not all, of his Slytherins raised their hands. Salazar nodded once more. "Ah, it is a pity to see how much of our history has been lost. How many of you know about the Old Ways?" Many lowered their hands, all of those who still raised their hands were purebloods. "How many of you still practice it with your families?" Most of the remaining hands lowered.

Salazar gave a grim smile. "So many of you will have little to no idea what I will next tell you." He shook his head and placed his hands against the desk. "While names and customs may vary from place to place, it is generally accepted that there is a male energy and a female energy that manifest in different forms as the gods and the goddesses. One of the goddesses may simply be known as Magic, though often many cultures will give her a name." He watched in veiled amusement as some of his students were too absorbed by his words to take notes. "Long ago, before mankind ever wrote down a written record, the gods walked freely among us. Magic was one of them and she saw in us pitiful creatures a great potential. So she gifted magic to those she saw as her children."

One of his students raised their hand, so Salazar nodded at them to speak. "Doesn't that make us better than muggles then?"

Salazar shook his head. "No, it does not. We received the great gift from Magic herself, but we are no better than the mundane humans. We are all humans and we are all prone to the same faults. We do have a great gift and we should be thankful for it, but we tend to forget that it can be taken away just as easily as it is granted. After all, do we not have kin who are born to mundane families? And there are mundanes born to magic bearing families, known to us as squibs. In fact, there has been an increase of squibs and nearly squib children born in recent years. What does that tell us?" He questioned. Salazar had made sure to do his research on the topic for recent years.

The young professor nodded to one of the students who had hesitantly raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Whithall?"

The girl glanced sideways at the student sitting next to her and then straightened her back slightly. "Magic… has decided to take away her gift?"

Giving a nod of approval, Salazar opened his hands. "Exactly, Miss Whithall. Five points to Slytherin. We can reason that we are taking our abilities for granted, so Magic has seen fit to start removing her gift. Many of the old traditions have been forgotten about or are simply not practiced."

"So what about mudbloods, Professor Evans?" An older year spoke up. "Are they not polluting our blood and will only make Magic take away more of our power?"

Salazar leveled a sharp stare towards the young man who had interrupted him. "Ten points from Slytherin," he spoke sternly and then turned his gaze on each one of his students. "You will not utter that word again, all of you. Do you understand me?" Once he got mutters of reluctant acceptance, Salazar turned his attention back to the student who had spoken the word. "There is nothing dirty about their blood. In fact, it brings fresh blood to our lines and strengthens us." He had seen it in his own time, how mundane born children and their offspring tended to have stronger magic. "The problem with them entering our world is that they bring their practices with them. It is good to have fresh ideas brought in, but not at the expense of our own culture."

He cast a quick tempus and realized that it had been an hour. "Ah, it is 7:30. First years, you have astronomy practice in fifteen minutes, do you not?" He glanced over to the small group and nodded to them. "Off you go then. Put your journals away and grab what you need for your class. Prefect Piper, would you please escort them to their class so they will not be late?" When the prefect stood up, Salazar held up his hand. "Quickly… I want you all to think on what I said at the closing. Next session we will have a debate on this topic." Salazar then dismissed them.

((Page Break))

((Hogwarts – past))

"Godric.. You cannot keep doing this to yourself," Rowena's soft voice broke through Godric's thoughts. "Have you slept at all?" The large man said nothing as he pushed away the bowl he was trying to scry with. He was pale and his face seemed thinner than before. His beard was unkempt and his hair lank with grease. "Goodness, Godric! I can smell you from here! When was the last you had a proper bath or even used a freshening charm?" Rowena had covered her sensitive nose and placed a calming hand against her rounded stomach. "I am putting my foot down, Godric! You will clean yourself properly, have a full meal, and get some rest. In that order!" Perched on Godric's chair, Fawkes gave a sad coo. Godric had not even listened to him!

Godric winced and shook his head. "I cannot, Rowena. Not until I have found Salazar. I need to apologize to him." Even if he dreaded that Salazar was truly dead.

Rowena gave a sad sigh. "Godric… Salazar is…"

The man quickly cut her off. "No! Do not say it! He is not! He is alive! He is just somewhere I cannot reach." His shaking hands curled into fists. "Salazar… he is my soulmate, Rowena. He is the better half of my soul. He is my brother… and I hurt him! He has disappeared far away from me because of my actions."

"You were not alone, Godric," Rowena spoke mournfully. She was cut off again.

Godric shook his head forcefully. "No! I was the one who spoke the damning words!" The redhead buried his face in his hands. "Salazar had a passion for dark arts. We all knew that, all accepted it. Even I dabbled some in the Dark Arts. My worry was that the children were not ready for the powerful Arts, but it was just the same as the very potent Light Arts. The children are not ready for either or, but Salazar proved he was a firm teacher, that he could teach the Arts safely. And he taught the Defense of them! There was nothing wrong with his methods or his teaching!" Rowena remained silent as Godric ranted. "So why? Why would I suddenly decide to banish him? Hogwarts is his home! It is not like me to punish so cruelly."

Godric's head suddenly snapped up. "Something is very wrong, Rowena." The woman only raised an eyebrow in question. "With Cayden…. There has been unrest about Dark Magic as the fool boy uses it to kill mundanes. Although he has not been heard from since the same time Salazar disappeared… but that is beside the point! There is unrest, yes, but we long ago made peace with Salazar's passion! So why now? Why would we suddenly whisper uneasily behind our friend's back? _Why_ would we abruptly decide that banishment would be the only option? None of it makes sense!"

With a heavy sigh, Rowena stroked her slightly rounded stomach and lowered her eyes. "Godric… They found Cayden's body today." The woman made her way over to the man's side, reaching out to slowly place her hand against the man's shoulder. But before she could touch him, she hesitated and slowly pulled back her hand before she let it fall back down to her side. "It was in a meadow…" She paused before sighing. "There was obviously a magical battle, Godric. Magical residue was still heavy in the air but was too much of a jumbled mess to really make any order of it. But… Salazar's…" She paused, barely able to even whisper the wizard's name. She swallowed thickly before composing herself. "Salazar's magical signature was unmistakably there. He fought Cayden, Godric. And he managed to kill him." She closed her eyes then. The next part of what she had to tell Godric was the hardest. "But Salazar… Salazar's body wasn't there."

There was a long silence as Godric seemed to process Rowena's words. The man then suddenly stood and spun on his heel to storm towards the door. "Godric! Where are you going?" Rowena called after the man, picking up her skirts and hurrying after the furious man. She could hear students whispering around them as she followed Godric down a crowded corridor.

Godric spun on one of the students and growled when he heard a whisper of Salazar's name. "You shall not dare say his name!" He snarled angrily before storming off again. He could not bear the thought of anyone else speaking about his lost friend. It had been hard enough to speak about him and to hear Rowena speak of him. The children did not understand! They had no right to whisper about Salazar! Whispers influenced but what _he_ had said. He could feel his heart clench in guilt. Godric did not even stop to look at how it might look. The students had not been told anything about Salazar's disappearance besides that rather public banishing, but all of them knew that their professor had completely vanished and did not seem to be coming back. Many still assumed that it had been some sort of gigantic fight between the founders that had led to his very public exiling, and Godric only fueled the suspicions by his refusal to speak about Salazar around the children.

"I am leaving," Godric said bluntly once he was in his room. Rowena had continued to follow him and so stood in the doorway as she watched as her friend threw clothes and necessities into a wizarding space expanded bag. "I am going to find him. I know Fawkes could not find him, but I am not going to believe it until I have seen it for my own eyes. If he is… If he is dead, then I will bring his body back to Hogwarts so we can give him a proper burial," the man said, his movements hurried and just a bit uncoordinated.

Rowena was worried about her friend and the state of his mind. Salazar's disappearance, and the events that had led up to it, had hurt them all but Godric was taking it especially bad. She tried to protest, but Godric only kissed Rowena's cheek. "Say goodbye to your husband will you? And tell your child that I look forward to meeting her one day once I have found Salazar." He glanced towards Rowena's stomach and then away again. "And to Helga… tell her I am sorry." Godric closed his back and hurried away before Rowena could protest. Raising a hand to press against her chest, Rowena then had to sit down swiftly as dizziness overtook her. When it passed, she still could not get herself to stand up because she did not have the will. She hoped that Godric stayed safe… and part of her hoped that he would bring Salazar back with him.

((End Chapter Five))

**Done, for now! And hopefully things should start getting more exciting now! So review?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Has it really been nearly two years since I last updated? I feel horrible… time has run away from me! Just one thing after another really. It has been a hard past few years to tell the truth. And then I when I went back to read everything… I disliked parts I had already written. So I took some time to edit the previous chapters which is why it has taken so much longer to get up an update. My old readers, you will want to go back and reread the previous chapters. Especially the first two. There has been some extensive reworking and hopefully some things will make more sense and make the story flow better. **

**And I want to thank all of you for all of the wonderful reviews! They make me feel all warm and cuddly inside. I do have to say that I am quite amused by some of you guys' theories. But don't worry… you'll find out about Godric's fate eventually. But he likely won't appear again for quite some time, except in Salazar's memories.**

**MeinNameIstHase you mentioned the parseltongue paradox. It's one of those weird timey wimey stuffs. Harry is Salazar. He gained the Parseltongue ability when he was attacked by Voldemort. The ability is technically a family ability so he transfers it to his brother when he magically adopts him, which makes it through the family line to Voldemort. When he attacks Harry and transfers the ability to him when he accidentally makes him a horcrux, it completes the circle. Harry gains the ability and then eventually goes back in time to become Salazar who is famous for the ability. Yeah… it makes sense in my head. Does it make sense to you?**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned this… but I don't. I'm just doing this for fun; I don't get paid for it. Well… Let's get on with the show!**

**READ THE BELOW NOTE, IF NOTHING ELSE**

**Oh, and a quick ****IMPORTANT**** note: I have received a few concerns over why people don't recognize Salazar as Harry. There are different reasons for this and everything will eventually be covered! I am aware this can be seen as a plot hole, just be patient. Everything shall be explained in time! Just remember: for them it has been five years since Harry disappeared. For Harry/ Salazar it has been ten years (even if he doesn't remember yet). He doesn't look like how they would expect Harry to look. For one, he's older. I did try to address this a little bit in my edits to the first chapters as well, so make sure you go back to reread!**

**Okay, I'm done. Finally. I'm aware that's a long author's note… I apologize! But you still love me, don't you, dear readers? I really hope you still at least like me…**

**Last Time:**

_He cast a quick tempus and realized that it had been an hour. "Ah, it is 7:30. First years, you have astronomy practice in fifteen minutes, do you not?" He glanced over to the small group and nodded to them. "Off you go then. Put your journals away and grab what you need for your class. Prefect Piper, would you please escort them to their class so they will not be late?" When the prefect stood up, Salazar held up his hand. "Quickly… I want you all to think on what I said at the closing. Next session we will have a debate on this topic." Salazar then dismissed them._

**Chapter Six**

**(Flashback)**

Salazar cursed as his vision suddenly became blurry. "Not again!" He raged, feeling irritable enough to really have an outburst of emotion. Across from him, Godric grimaced before lowering his wand.

"Sal… this is the third time you have lost those," he complained. He was not about to take advantage of his friend's near blindness in a simple duel like this. They were both just getting used to their wands and new spells. Godric did not want to accidentally hurt his friend since they both were not the best duelers yet. He knew that in a real duel he would have to take advantage of anything that he could, but this was different. They could be more ruthless to each other once they really knew what they were doing, Godric decided. "You should really do something about those. Even with anti-summoning charms and some sticking charms, you still manage to lose them or somehow break them."

Salazar gave his friend an angry scowl. "Do you think that I do not know that?" He snapped back, his eyes unfocused and looking just over Godric's shoulder much to the red haired teen's amusement. He wisely chose not to comment on it as he walked over to where the man's strangely shaped spectacles had dropped.

Picking them up, he cleaned them and fixed them quietly before handing them over to Salazar. "I heard there was a potion that could fix your eyesight," he said in an offhand sort of manner. "Maybe we can ask Master Wolfhelm about it," he said, referring to the wizard who had helped them build their wands.

Taking his spectacles with a grumble, Salazar pulled them on and breathed a sigh of relief when his vision cleared. He then turned his eyes towards Godric. "A… potion you say?" He spoke thoughtfully. Most of the wizards they had come across really did not know their potions. Most seemed to be under the impression that it was women's work. Salazar himself knew very little about potions as well. There was some sort of lingering resentment towards the subject, but it did not damper his curiosity. What sort of things could be done with potions? He knew that Master Wolfhelm had some knowledge of the subject as it had been instrumental in the construction of their wands. "Yes… I think I will look into that. It is a perfect opportunity to learn more," he decided.

Godric gave him a look of amusement before tucking his wand safely away in the holster at his wrist. They had both gotten one as a present from Wolfhelm when they had successfully completed their wands. "Well, let us head back to camp then. Master Wolfhelm was talking about moving on again." He was eager about getting his friend's eyes fixed. They could really concentrate on their dueling then and they would not have to worry about Salazar losing his spectacles.

And as soon as Salazar tried to vaguely go about asking how the potion was made without trying to sound too eager about it, Wolfhelm had exuberantly told him that he had been waiting ages for Salazar to come to him and ask! Salazar had been prepared to hex Godric as the man struggled to breathe through his laughter in the corner of the tent. Apparently he had to work on his subtlety. That or Wolfhelm was a lunatic... but then, he had already known that. Godric was a lunatic as well.

But the lunatic of a master had the knowledge that Salazar needed. So he sucked it up and let the man teach him. Wolfhelm really was all too eager to teach him too, even going so far to teach Salazar that there was a reason why certain ingredients were used and there was a reason why they had to be prepared the way they were. But immediately after that lesson, the man refused to let Salazar brew potions unsupervised. The young man had started a few experiments that had not ended well, as he had wanted to see what happened when he had added certain ingredients together. He had just been unable to control his curiosity. But it had been an important lesson.

In the end, Wolfhelm gave Salazar a scroll he had compiled on ingredients and techniques before he forbad him to experiment until he had better knowledge of the ingredients he was to work with. He did not want the teen to accidentally blow himself up. He had spent too much valuable time teaching them and he did not want it to go to waste. So with Salazar forbidden from his experiments for now, Wolfhelm was able to guide the teen through the makings of the potion.

It was after the week long brewing process that found them all gathered in the tent so Salazar could finally use the potion. Wolfhelm gave his student a searching look. "So you do understand what will happen once I place a drop of the potion in your eyes, yes?" Salazar was currently lying in his bed with Wolfhelm sitting in a rickety chair next to him. He had a small wood hewn bowl in his hands and a little spoon. Godric was standing nearby, a grim look on his face.

Salazar nodded his head stiffly as he stared at the cloth ceiling with his unfocused gaze since his spectacles were lying on the little table near the head of the bed. "Yes, sir. Once you put the potion in my eyes, you will need to seal my eyelids shut so the potion can work. They will be sealed for three days before you will unseal them," he repeated what had been told him several times during the brewing process over the course of the week. Salazar was still determined to do this.

So Wolfhelm carefully dropped some of the potion into the young man's eyes before he quickly instructed him to close his eyes. Once that was done, he tapped Salazar's eyelids with the tip of his wand. "Are you comfortable?" He asked then as he watched for any signs of an unusual reaction. Salazar only grumbled as his hands twitched with the obvious refrain from the urge to rub at his eyes. Wolfhelm chuckled as he stood up. "Well, I shall leave you two boys alone. I will go dispose of the leftover potion." And with that, he was gone.

Godric walked over to his friend and sat down on the chair that Wolfhelm had vacated. He then reached out and took his friend's hand. "How does it feel?" He asked curiously. He had been a little worried that it would not work, but Salazar had been so determined and he knew that Wolfhelm would not administer a potion he thought would hurt Salazar. Besides, he had been the one to suggest the potion in the first place to his friend.

Salazar quickly slapped Godric's hand away and sat up. "I feel fine," he told his friend. "And you know I despise being coddled like that. I am neither sick nor dying. You do not have to act like I am," he said stiffly before he stood up. Taking a deep breath then, he walked towards the entrance of the tent. "I just have to survive three days of this. It will be fine. You worry too much."

Godric gave a long sigh and a roll of his eyes. "And you are too proud," he muttered as he stood up and grabbed the back of his friend's tunic before he could trip over the trunk that rested just to the side of the tent flap. He steered him in the right direction before he left after Salazar. It was going to be a long three days… but at the end of it; Salazar should never have to use his strange spectacles ever again. So he was not going to complain too much.

**(End Flashback)**

Salazar absently rubbed at his nose with a small smile. He quickly shook himself though, not wanting to think of the past. It was bittersweet and still painful. Godric… no, _Gryffindor _had been his closest friend. Godric had definitely been a light wizard, if one could give them titles based on magic usage, but he had not been perfect. And based on what "Dark" magic fundamentally was, Godric had used a few of those spells himself. He and Godric had even debated the subject a few times. Helga and Rowena had been a bit more wary on the topic, but then they had been taught different morals, having grown up in wizarding families. And Rowena, with her thirst for knowledge, had come across mentions of some of the darkest rituals that not even he would touch. Had Rowena, perhaps, been unable to look past this and lumped all "Dark" spells together? Did she think him capable of doing the spells? Teach them to the children? Salazar did not know what to believe anymore. And, frankly, he did not want to really think about it. He was not with them anymore. They could not hurt him here in this time. And it was because he was in this time that he had a reason to be in the library at that moment.

In this new time, Salazar was eager to learn about the advancements in magic that must have been made in the course of nearly a thousand years. Potions, spells, even rituals! But that wasn't why he was currently in the library. He had landed in a time that was embroiled in a war. Whether he wanted to take part in it or not, he needed to learn what he could. He hadn't had much time earlier as he had been making his preparations for class, so he was taking time now to do some research. So he had collected newspapers, journals, books… anything he could get his hands on about what they were calling the first and second wizarding wars. He, personally, thought it was a load of dragon dung. There had been plenty of wars in the past. Although, he would admit that the wizarding world had not been as unified in his own time as it was in the present time. After all, they had not had a central government. Still, that was not the point, and he was digressing. Since when did he ramble anyways? Godric's bad habits must have rubbed off on him. And again… digressing.

Getting back to the collection in front of him, Salazar read first 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord.' And once he had finished it, he decided it was absolutely ridiculous. It sounded more like a collection of rumors or myths than any real historical fact. The author did not actually seem to know where this Voldemort had come from, only that he claimed to be the 'Heir of Slytherin'. It was complete griffin scat, if he had any say about it. And they kept referring to the man as "He-who- must-not-be-named"! Fear of the name only increased the fear for the thing itself! ...And where had he heard that before? No matter.

Salazar noticed then from a passage that Voldemort had placed a Taboo on his name. "Oh, clever man… that would make sense," Salazar said slowly. If the people were afraid to speak the man's name in fear they would be found and attacked, they would associate that fear with the man himself. That fear would be passed down to their children, who would have no idea just why they feared what they did. But it would also mean that the man's name would be forgotten. Eventually, no one would remember what he was called anymore and he would only be known as "He-who-must-not-be-named." Especially once the man was defeated. And there really was no doubt about that. The man would throw off the balance of magic to the point that magic herself might interfere to restore the balance. This "He-who-must-not-be-named" might have appeared originally to restore balance to the dark fearing world, but he had since lost sight of his goals. That was if he had any proper goals to begin with, of course. Light propaganda did not give him a proper view of such things.

Setting the book aside, he picked up one entitled 'The Fall of the Dark: A Biography of our Savior.' What an idiotic title. And as he read, Salazar decided that the book itself was even worse. It was nothing more than even more propaganda! He hardly believed that a one year old child could really defeat a dark lord. Not even a young prodigy of magic would be able to do such a feat even if it was a ploy by magic to restore the balance from a too aggressive rise of the dark. The parents had likely found some ritual to protect their child and had been aided by magic herself to succeed. They were the real heroes and their poor child had either buckled underneath the fame enough to decide to disappear, or his ego became so wide that he got himself killed. Still, Salazar could not help but pity the child and wish he could have had him in his House. He could have helped this Harry Potter however he needed it. The boy would have been a man now, just five years younger than he. But it seemed no one knew where the poor lad had gone.

Salazar flipped through to the last page where a picture then caught his eye. Wizarding photographs were so strange, and yet such a fascinating invention from more recent times. The caption beneath the photograph said that it was of Harry Potter and was taken while he was in his fourth year during the Triwizard tournament. But Salazar was not paying attention to the caption. Instead, he was studying, with a furrowed brow, the picture of the uncomfortable looking boy. The boy carried a striking resemblance to him from his earlier years. The messy hair, the vibrant green eyes… even the strange spectacles! Perhaps the boy had been a descendant of his? He was not a virgin, of course, but he had been so careful… Perhaps he had been wrong? Whatever the case, the similarities were striking. They could have passed as brothers, twins even. It did not sit right in his gut, a twisting there that was hard to ignore.

Salazar ran his fingers through his long bangs as he thought, unsettled by the photograph he still stared at. His hair too had been messy like the boy's once. But now it was straight and there was a streak of silver, a side effect from one of his potion experiments. And the green eyes… Salazar knew his eyes were green, but they were not nearly as vibrant as the boy's. His were dark, jaded, and had flecks of silver from the potion to repair his eyesight.

But what struck him was the unusual scar. It was in the same place as his, and it was even the same shape that was too straight to be natural. The boy had apparently received it in the attack that had killed his parents and temporarily defeated this Voldemort character. However, the Killing Curse never left a mark behind. The curse scar had to have been from something else even if he had received it in the attack. But could it all be a strange coincidence? For one thing, this boy could surely not be him after all. He, Salazar, was hundreds of years from the boy's past! It had to have been some sort of strange coincidence, though he never believed in coincidences. But perhaps he really did have a child he had not known about and this Harry Potter was his descendent. That would make the boy his true Heir and could very well explain the scar if it was the result of some family curse or protection passed down through the bloodline. It wasn't unheard of, after all. Many pureblood families would often go through rituals to ensure the continuation of their lines. Perhaps the boy had received the scar as the protections defended against the ending of the boy's bloodline. He, Salazar, could have been in a similar situation as he never knew where he had received his own scar. He now knew his scar to be a curse scar, but what if it was the result of a ritual of protection? It could have been something that was passed down through direct lineage. Yes, that had to be it. But even as he thought it, it did not feel quite right.

Sighing, he closed the book and pulled his braid over his shoulder. It also did not explain the strange memories he had been experiencing and the feelings of wrongness that he had been feeling every so often. Perhaps it was time to get to the bottom of the truth about his scar. With a swish of his wand, Salazar sent the books back to their places on the library shelves. He would start later. For now, he had dinner and then he would be attending the dueling class to lend a hand if needed. The Heads of House would attend as well to help the children. Snape was in charge, but experienced assistants were required to help keep the children in line and to prevent accidents. It was all on the Headmaster's orders of course.

As he made his way down an empty hallway, Salazar suddenly came to an abrupt halt. "Rowena?" He called out incredulously before he could stop himself. The woman, a pale ghost who had just drifted through a doorway not four feet in front of Salazar, stopped in surprise. The stern gaze that was levelled on Salazar painfully reminded him of the woman he had founded Hogwarts with, but he could now see the differences. "Tá tú a hiníon," he realized then and surprise flitted across the ghost's face at hearing a language not spoken to her in a very long time.

"Tá tú ceart," she said slowly as she drifted closer to Salazar. "Cén chaoi a bhfuil a fhios agat cad Breathnaíonn mo mháthair mhaith?"

Salazar smiled grimly. "Tá mé amach as an am seo. Shíl mé go raibh a fhios agam do mháthair aon uair amháin. Ag am amháin bhí sí ina cara daor."

A look of comprehension passed over the ghost's unearthly face. "Uncail Sal…"

Salazar quickly held up a hand. "Ná húsáid an ainm sin anseo. Tá mé Eolas Evans láthair. Bain úsáid as é nó eile beidh mé ag Hogwarts ceangal do thost." He gave her a stern look before his features softened. "Ach inis dom ... cad is ainm duit?"

"Helena," she responded softly and Salazar gave her a smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Helena. I must be on my way to the evening meal, but I shall like to see you again." He wanted to know why Rowena's daughter was here as a ghost in Hogwarts. And part of him… part of him wanted to know what happened to the other founders. But the pain was even now still too great and he could not bear it yet to ask. So he excused himself and left for the Great Hall.

He quietly slipped in through the staff doors on the side so he would not have to walk through the hordes of students. He took his spot at the table then and served himself some of the meal. Many of the students seemed to be more animated than usual and Salazar knew it was because of the dueling class later. He chuckled to himself as he picked up his goblet and whispered a quick detection spell. Satisfied that it had not been drugged, he took a sip of it. Ah, the innocence of youth… not that he was an old man himself, but he would not describe himself as innocent. He quickly set into his meal.

"Professor Evans?" A female voice called to him and Salazar turned his head to the young woman who had seated herself next to him. "If you have a moment, I would like to ask you a question," she inquired almost timidly before smiling in relief as he gave a small nod of acceptance. Some surprise was in her eyes and she seemed flustered for a moment before she regained her composure. "Oh, wonderful! You see, I was thinking about the song that the sorting hat sung during the Welcoming Feast. The language at the end, it sounded like the one you spoke when you arrived here. Do you mind translating it for me? Ah, what was it again?"

Salazar snorted softly as he set his goblet down. "Agus beidh an nathair ardú arís? Ah, yes… I do recognize it. The hat is a very old artifact, is it not? It does its duties; however I think that it has gone a bit barmy. Perhaps it thinks that it is a seer of some sort. Mending a feud?" He shook his head and then gave a wave of his hand. "Or it is just speaking utter nonsense trying to make itself sound more important than it really is. Agus beidh an nathair ardú arís… it means the snake shall rise again." He gave a thoughtful hum. "However, it would know that I am now the new Head of Slytherin House, so perhaps it is under the belief that I shall bring some positive changes to the House. It would be right in that regard and could just be the hat's way of predicting the rise of Slytherin House to its former glory." Salazar spoke his thoughts out loud. He gave Professor Granger a polite smile. "If you want my opinion, I would not look too much into it." He had noticed the crease of her brow.

She gave him a rather dazed look before she quickly blushed and picked up her goblet to take a drink. "I'm surprised, Professor Evans… you seem to be in a good mood this evening. You normally avoid conversation unless it is too the point." Her voice was inquiring.

Salazar hid a grimace. He did not want to get close to the other professors. He did not want to be hurt again. But he knew that it would perhaps not be a good idea to make enemies either. He thought now he should maybe at least make acquaintances with some of the professors, especially since Zabini had left on the unknown mission of his for the Headmaster. "You will have to excuse my behavior as of late. It is true that I have not been in the most joyful of moods, and I apologize if it has been off-putting. The stress of preparing for classes in such a short amount of time clearly made a mess of me. Shall we try again? It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor Hermione Granger." He would have taken her hand to kiss her knuckles, but refrained from doing so in public. Instead, he gave her a rather disarming smile, something he had perfected when he used it against the parents of his students from the time long ago.

Surprise by the abrupt change in the otherwise aloof Potions Professor, Hermione gave a dazed smile in return and nodded her head. "Of course. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Professor Eolas Evans."

After a nod to her, Salazar stood up. "It was a pleasure. I have some work to attend to for the dueling class that takes place after dinner. As only the Heads of House will be there to chaperone, I shall see you at the evening meal then, Professor Granger. I wish you a good night." He placed his napkin on the table and gave her a short bow before he took his exit out the side doors. He had a short time before the dueling class started and he wanted to change into some better robes that were better suited for dueling.

By the time that he made it back down to the Great Hall, dinner was over and the house elves were busy arranging the large chamber for use. They had removed the House tables and had moved the staff table so use as a dueling stage. It seemed that there might be a demonstration. Though the Heads of House were meant to help out, Snape had not shared his plans for the class. He retreated to a shadowed alcove near the great fireplace to wait until everyone arrived.

He was able to watch as the students arrived in packs. And they remained segregated by House for the most part, though there was some socializing between three of the Houses. He could see that his Snakes were excluded from such socializing. It both pained him and made him proud. His Snakes could take care of themselves… but at the same time, it hurt to see his little Snakes being rejected by the rest of the school. His Snakes were sly and cunning because they had to be, or else how would they survive in a world that hated them? Oh, what had his precious House come to?

Salazar quickly shook off the dark tendrils and broke away from the shadows to approach his House. Snape had just made a grand entrance, his robes billowing about him as he walked up onto the stage. It brought a strange sense of déjà vu, but he ignored it in favor of what the man had opened his mouth to say. "The Headmaster… has seen fit to prepare each one of you for what lies beyond Hogwarts. This," he spoke the word sharply, "is a required class, but do not think that I will let you slack in your studies. You will take this class seriously or I shall personally see to it that you fail," he said with a sneer towards the students. Salazar was completely convinced that he disliked the man upon the dueling stage. Threats were not a proper way to teach a class. Discipline and threats were two very different things after all.

"Now each one of you fall into line!" Snape barked and the students scrambled to follow his orders. Salazar drew back quietly so that he was not in the way as the students formed rows in the Great Hall. "Keep your wands out of your hands, but assume a dueling position," was the next order from the Professor. Salazar felt irritated that the man would assume that the children should know what a dueling stance should be. It was more than just pointing out your wand arm, he thought with a sigh as he saw many of the children do just that.

With another quiet sigh, Salazar began to make his way through the Slytherin students to correct their positions. He praised those who had good posture while he made adjustments here and there. For the students who had never had dueled properly before, he took more time to guide them into beginner stances that would help them until they made it to new levels. He could see the other Heads doing the same with their students as well. Perhaps the class would not be a complete failure then.

Salazar smirked to himself as Snape called for everyone's attention. "That is only the first step," the dower man scowled at the students. "Before any of you even think of advancing to actual duels, you will all need to learn the proper etiquette." He ordered the students to stay where they were before he launched into the proper etiquette for a duel. It was all rather boring and he could see some other students bored as well. These were likely pureblood students that had had proper tutors. But this class was mandatory so they could not opt out.

By the end of the class, Salazar was left shaking his head in exasperation. "A foot long essay must be written by your next class on why the proper etiquette is important," Snape ordered in a rather snide voice before the children could leave. Salazar would love to know what was wrong with the man and why he was so irritable. But it was not his problem. Snape seemed to be a bitter man that was trapped by something in his past. He had been a spy once? So perhaps it haunted him. He hid it all behind a mask, but could it have hurt to have found a better one? Salazar snorted as he strolled the corridors towards his quarters.

Slipping in through the door, Salazar sighed softly and ran his fingers through his hair. It had slipped out of the braid that he had had it in. After he had quickly retied it, Salazar undressed for bed. Tomorrow as a new day and he would have classes to get through. And perhaps he would talk with Granger again. He did not want friends. He did not want to be betrayed anymore. But at the same time, he did not want to be alone. Zabini would be gone for an unknown amount of time, so he was obviously out of the question. Granger seemed approachable enough, though a bit on the enthusiastic side. But perhaps being nice to her would do his image some good. If he wanted any part of this war to keep his Slytherins safe, then he would need to be on the good side of the ones who were on the front lines. It would not do to alienate himself. Yes, it would be best if he pretended to be more sociable. He went to sleep with that in mind.

**((Page Break))**

Early the next morning, Salazar was up as usual and unable to sleep in any longer. After he had slid out of bed, the man made his way into the bathing room to get ready for the day. After he took care of business, he unbraided his hair and stepped into the stall to take a soothing shower. All the while, he planned what he would do for the day. His split second decision the night before at dinner had set the events in motion. Further inflection last night convinced him that being more approachable was a good thing. Granger seemed a good place to start as she was rather intelligent and appeared to be open to trying to make things work. He had to make a place for himself here in this new time and convince others that not all Slytherins were like Voldemort. Proper Slytherins were nothing like the man and his little band of followers. It would be a long and rather tedious journey, but Salazar hoped it would help maintain the balance.

After he dried his hair with a quick spell, Salazar dressed. Eolas was not in the room, so he made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was still fairly early so most students would still either be asleep or either just getting up from sleep. It meant that the Great Hall would be rather quiet. Granger would also be there, if he remembered correctly. He had seen her with a red haired male at meals before school started, but the Weasley male did not sit with the staff. He was part of the castle's protection and not a professor. He likely ate elsewhere, possibly the kitchens. They seemed to be close, so it was good that the Weasley would not be at the meal. Weasley was crude and not someone Salazar wanted to spend much time around. Granger was much more tolerable.

And as he stepped into the Great Hall, he could see the young woman already seated. She had a book in front of her as she ate with a rather mechanical motion. Salazar snorted softly as he seated himself next to her. "It is not rather rude to read while at the table?" He asked her as he gathered some food for himself. She gave him a rather startled look and Salazar gave an appropriate smile in response. Really, it was much too easy. "But I am curious. What book interests you so that you would bring it even to the meal?"

Granger floundered for a moment before she cleared her throat and showed Salazar the title of the book. "Ah, it's called Theoretical Magicke. It's not a terribly original name, but the information contained is rather interesting," she said as she shut the book. "I'm currently reading about curse scars. It's rather fascinating actually."

Salazar hummed softly and gave a nod of his head. "A book for your class, I take it?" He glanced over to Granger. "Curse scars always take on a specific shape, whether it is from the curse itself or the protections against said curse," he said as he spread his hands. It was a rather interesting topic to be sure. "Some scars can be removed, of course, but there are some that leave permanent marks. Those are always the most powerful."

"So Harry's curse scar would be the result of protections against the curse? The Killing Curse does not leave a mark, and yet he had a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt," Granger mused with a look of sudden inspiration on her face. "I never really thought about it before."

Salazar frowned. "Harry Potter? You were friends with him, were you not? You said he received his curse scar from his survival against the Killing Curse?" He had suspected as much. However, if they shared similar scars, then perhaps they had been protected through similar rituals. He could not remember his childhood, but this could be a clue to his forgotten past. It was a nice riddle to figure out as well. The only clue was the lightning bolt shape, but there was something about the shape that had been bothering him. He had not really put any thought into it before, but now it was really nagging him.

"Something bothers me," he said out loud then. He quickly summoned a house elf to bring him some parchment and a quill. "I saw a photograph of him once. The mark is shaped like this, correct?" He quickly sketched out the shape and looked at it with a critical eye. He knew it, how had he missed it before? And he was supposed to be observant! "Yes, I think I have got it. I cannot believe I overlooked it before!" Salazar turned the parchment around to show Granger. "Here look. This is the shape, yes?" The woman nodded in confusion. "Good. Now forget that you think of this as a lightning bolt. Say I was to approach you in the halls and pass this to you, what would be the first thing you would think of it as being?" He prodded, wanting her to come to the same conclusion on her own. Salazar watched then as Granger's confusion morphed into realization.

The woman gasped and her head shot up, a move that drew some attention in the otherwise quiet Hall. She did not seem to notice and Salazar ignored it. "Sowilo!" Granger exclaimed though she said it in almost a whisper at the same time. "Oh, why did I never notice before? It makes so much sense! Harry, Ron, and I would always have all sorts of adventures during the four years before Harry disappeared. You cannot believe the things we survived! Harry defeated a _basilisk _once down in the Chamber of Secrets when he was _twelve_." Salazar could not stop himself from choking, but luckily Granger seemed to misread his surprise as she only carried on. "He managed things no other kid should be able to do. He summoned a patronus at thirteen against at least a hundred dementors!"

"You look up to him," Salazar interrupted, still in some disbelief that a mere twelve year old had been able to kill his basilisk. He wanted the story behind that one. If the boy had been able to get down into the chamber, he would have to be a parselmouth. So why did he not speak with the basilisk? The creature would listen to a parselspeaker. He shook his head and resolved to think about it later.

Granger blushed and nodded. "I miss him a lot… but the point I was trying to get at is runes are very powerful. Especially when branded into skin. Tattoos are the most popular, of course." Salazar gave a nod as he thought of his own runic markings. Granger gave an excited smile. "It must be the same way with Harry's scar. Even though he received it as the result of a curse counter, it's still a rune and holds power!"

The founder gave a rather indulgent smile. "It also means that the true hero is one of his parents, possibly both of them. They found a ritual to protect their son and that is what saved your friend. Not many things will protect against the Killing Curse. It must have been a very old ritual."

"You're right," Granger whispered in realization. "But at the same time, his disappearance does not make sense." She looked up at Salazar with a frown. "If he had such extraordinary good luck as result of influence from the rune, then how did he manage to disappear? There was an attack on his home, so surely he would have been able to escape if the same pattern is followed. So where is he and why would he be gone for five years without a word?"

Salazar frowned at that. "Either some powerful magic was at work… or he left willingly." But, frankly, the boy's disappearance did not make sense at all, just like she had said. With the powerful rune upon his forehead, and his true Heir in all probability, it was likely that the Potter boy had been meant to bring balance back with this Voldemort character tipping the balance too much in way of the dark. And if he really stopped to think about the balance, this tipping would cause the Light to be in too much power once Voldemort fell as the Light would be terrified of another character like Voldemort rising into power. As his true Heir, Harry Potter would save the world from the Dark and then save it from too much light as he would be Dark aligned by blood. Unless, of course his blood had been diluted over time, but if he had the gift of parseltongue then it was likely that his magic was more aligned with the Dark. At the very least he would be more sensitive to it. Though if he had been around all the Light magic that permeated the current halls of Hogwarts, maybe that would not be so. He could just be over analyzing everything, of course.

He shook his head and rested his chin against the back of his hand. But thinking about Harry Potter being his true Heir, it had a certain poetic irony to have false Heir against true Heir as Voldemort had this obsession with the Potter boy if the books were to be believed. He sighed then and looked over to Granger. "Magic is meant to be balanced. There cannot be light without dark and there cannot be dark without light. Voldemort will fall," he said with certainty. "One can only hope it is before it is too late." He stood up then, having finished his breakfast as he had spoken with Granger. She was quick to follow him as he left the Hall.

"Hold up, Evans! What do you mean by that?" She demanded and Salazar sighed softly. He had a class of second years to prepare for and did she not have a class too? "What do you mean by balance? Why are you so certain that Voldemort will be defeated?"

Salazar sighed and stopped in the hallway so he could turn to look at Granger. "I have a class to prepare for and I have classes all day. There will be no classes for the next two days so why don't you come down to my office after dinner tonight? I will be working on grading papers, but we can talk then if it is suitable to you." This would give him time to figure out what exactly to say to Granger. Did no one believe in the balance anymore? He would need to be careful though given how the other Heads had responded to his mention of teaching the ancient traditions. Professor McGonagall immediately came to mind and Granger had been her student.

Granger interrupted Salazar's thoughts with a sigh. "Oh, alright… I do need to prepare for my class anyways. But I expect you to answer me when I see you tonight!"

Salazar gave a short bow and turned away as he spotted Weasley as he jogged up to Granger. The dark haired founder rounded the corner, but he did not miss Weasley's voice as he spoke to Granger. "What were you doing talking to that slimy git, Hermione?" The red haired man demanded, but Salazar did not stay long enough to hear Granger's response. He pushed it from his mind, instead focusing on the class he had to prepare for. First it would be second year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students. He had to finish grading the quiz that he had given them the day before during their class period then.

Once in his classroom, he sat down and opened up one of the drawers. For the time left before the students arrived, Salazar finished grading the quizzes. Once the students were all there, Salazar stood up and took roll call. He then began passing back the quizzes. "I graded these," he told them. "And I must say that I am a bit disappointed in how little you were taught last year. I expect you all to pay attention and work hard to get up to the level that I want you at," he told them sternly as he returned to the front of the room. "Put away all of your kits, if you would. Instead, pull out your books and something to write with. We will not be doing any practical work for at least a few class periods."

He waited until they had done as ordered before he walked over to the board. He picked up a piece of chalk and wrote down a page number. "Flip to page twenty-three and read paragraph two through four." Across the top of the board then, he wrote down a few words. When he finished, he turned to the class and waited until they were finished reading. "Now then… who can tell me the difference between chopping and slicing ingredients? How does it affect the outcome of a potion?"

A hand slowly raised and Salazar nodded his head. "Yes, Miss Kelly?"

The young Ravenclaw girl bit her lip and looked down at the open book in front of her. "Chopping and slicing ingredients affects the rate at which they, uh… dissolve into the potion." Salazar gave an encouraging nod and urged her to keep going. "How fast an ingredient dissolves into a potion is important to the outcome. If it dissolves too quickly, then it could interact with the wrong ingredients. Same with dissolving not fast enough."

With a smile, Salazar went over to the board and wrote out the answer. "Very good, Miss Kelly. Ten points to Ravenclaw. Now then, who can tell me what makes chopping different from slicing ingredients?" He asked the last part as he turned around to face the students again. He was able to carefully ease the answers out of his students, encouraging them to get in on the discussion on the proper preparations of ingredients. By the time the bell rang for the end of class, Salazar felt that he had made a good first step in bringing the students up to where they needed to be academically.

And thankfully the rest of his classes went by much like his first. The older classes were more advanced, but Salazar wanted to make sure that his students all had a strong foundation in potion making. Some would do well at potions, others would be passable. As long as they all understood how each step was important, and understood how ingredients reacted to each other, then they would all at least be able to follow a recipe. The safety of his students was important above everything else.

Finally emerging from his classroom after the last class of the day was finished, Salazar groaned softly. It would be very nice to finally stretch out his long legs! He had spent even lunch in his classroom doing some grading as he had a house elf bring him lunch. He intended on going to dinner in the Great Hall though. There he would make light conversation with the other professors. But when he got there, McGonagall gave him a small sniff and refused to talk to him. Salazar ignored the slight squeeze of his heart that he did not quite understand. Why would he want this woman to like him? If she was going to judge him for what he believed, then why should he care what she thought? He ignored her in response.

When he left to head to his chambers, Granger stood up as well and quickly followed after him. Salazar had to feel amused at the young woman's excitement, but said nothing to her as he led the way to his room. He opened up the door then and invited Granger into the sitting room. "Make yourself comfortable," he told her before he called a house elf to bring them some tea. Well it seemed he would not be starting on his grading right away. Granger appeared to be rather eager and it gave him a feeling of fondness.

Sighing, Salazar sat down on a chair and picked up a cup of tea once the tray appeared on the table. "You wanted to know what I meant earlier?" He glanced over to her. "What do you know about the origin of Magic?"

Granger looked at him with surprise over her cup of tea. "The origin? I… Well, I have never really put any thought into it. I am muggleborn, you see." Her face was rather proud, though she also appeared a bit unsure. "I suppose I just took it for granted, never really thought about it. I have magic and that is the way it is."

Salazar gave a nod of his head. "Mundane borns such as you bring fresh blood into the bloodlines," he told her. "A gift from Magic herself." He gave a smile then. "You see…" He placed down his cup of tea and stood up again. He went to retrieve a book and held it out to Granger. "Be careful with it. It has preservation spells on it, but it is very old." He sat back down again. "You are mundane born so do you believe in mundane Christianity?" He inquired as she opened up the book curiously to look inside. Granger gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "I was raised in the old traditions," he told her carefully. "It is not about pureblood supremacy, so hear me out before you make any judgments." She closed up the book again and gave a nod, her lips pressed tightly together.

After he had picked up his tea again, Salazar took a sip. "I believe in old gods." Ah, what were the people called nowadays? He had looked this up. "It is a mixture of the old Celtic traditions and the old Norse traditions." At the time, the northmen had been settling a good portion of the land where they had made their home. They had studied, he and Gryffindor, before coming up with something of their own from both traditions. "Whatever path someone takes, it is accepted that Magic is a being all her own. She is known by many names. Long ago she walked amongst the people along with the rest of her kin. To a group of us, she granted us this gift of magic. And within this magic there is a balance of Light and Dark." He set down his cup of tea and sighed softly. "Magic watches over the balance to maintain it. That is why I am so certain that Voldemort will be defeated." He was glad the Taboo did not work on Hogwarts. "He rose to power through the blessing of Magic, I am certain. He was to bring back balance to the world of magic, but he has strayed from his path. So Magic will ensure that Voldemort will fall."

Granger hummed thoughtfully. "It does make sense," she said slowly. "I have looked into some dark magic in my research for my Defense classes. It was only natural," she said the part defensively, but Salazar only gave an encouraging smile. "It is very powerful magic, but I would not really classify it as, well, evil."

Oh, she was a smart one. Salazar gave a proud smile. "Very good. The nature of dark magic is chaotic and mischievous, but it is not evil in any way. It is the will of the user, not the magic itself." He gave a rather amused smile then, his eyes showing a playful sparkle. "Did you know that Merlin was a dark wizard? He was sorted into Slytherin when he was a student here."

Leaning forward with wide eyes, Granger gasped. "Are you certain? The legend of Merlin goes all the way back to 500 AD! That was some five hundred years before Hogwarts was founded!"

Salazar allowed himself to laugh. "Ah, yes. The Merlin that was influential to the wizarding world was a young student at Hogwarts once upon a time. In my research, it seems that there was another wizard by the name of Myrddin. The two are different people, but legends have overlapped over the years."

"So fascinating," Granger breathed out before she leaned forward again. "You are not prejudiced against Muggleborns and yet you follow an old path as you put it. So why is there so much hate towards them?" She nearly demanded to Salazar's amusement.

He leaned back in his own chair. "I have a few theories about it. You have heard of the witch hunts, correct? Few well trained witches and wizards were ever caught or actually put to death, but the wizarding world lost many children. And before this time, it was not unheard of wizarding children of mundane families to be seen as devils for the powers they had." He sighed and shook his head. "Once upon a time, we all lived in peace. Magic was a gift from the gods and many of the magic community were revered as powerful healers. But once Christianity was introduced, the people grew to fear us because they were told that magic was from a being they called the devil, an evil entity." Salazar could still remember some of the children who had come to him. He quickly brushed away the memories. "Mundane born children tend to be more rigid in their beliefs, partly because it is the way they have been raised all of their lives before they enter the magical world. New ideas are good for the wizarding world, but the purebloods likely rebelled when they were told they should give up their old beliefs for new ones. Hatred has festered and the origins of this hatred have been lost to time for many. Others seem to forget that Magic is a gift and have decided that they are better than mundanes and mundane born."

He hummed softly then and leaned forward. "Tell me. What feast is approaching soon at the end of next month?" He asked her curiously. When he got the name Halloween in response, he gave a humorless chuckle. "Ah, yes. And what is this feast about?" He asked next. "How does Hogwarts celebrate it?" She seemed confused and mentioned a feast. Salazar shook his head. "Halloween, to me, is known as Samhainn. It is the feast of the dead, to put it simply. It is a harvest festival celebrated with bonfires and feasting. Divination and communication with the dead is easiest on this date as the veil between this world and the other is at its thinnest. Beings from the otherworld tend to roam the night on this feast," he said while Granger listened with rapt attention. Salazar chuckled and motioned to the book that lay abandoned in Granger's lap. "Read that. It will give you more answers about the old ways. I ask that you please keep it to yourself. Others are not so welcoming or are as eager to learn. You are, of course, welcome to ask me any questions, but I again ask that you keep it to yourself for now." Others would not be able to see the contents of the book she held. He had written it long ago with Gryffindor, but had put a temporary translation charm on the book.

Granger hugged the book close to her chest. "Thank you, Evans," she said as she gave him a smile. She bit her lip then as she stood up. "I uh, well…. You seem familiar to me," she said. "I don't remember ever having met you before, but I feel like I can trust you. I won't break your trust," she promised him. Salazar gave a nod in reply as he stood as well. Ah, Gryffindors. They could be as loyal as Hufflepuffs. She darted in to hug him quickly before she hurried out the door, leaving Salazar behind with a rather bemused expression on his face. Women were strange, he decided.

Snorting softly to himself, Salazar went over to his desk and looked down at the books that were scattered over his desk. He did not really want to do any work at the moment. Perhaps a good long bath would do him some good. Yes, that would be a perfect way to wind down from the first hectic week of school. So he called for a house elf to prepare a bath for him while he undressed in the privacy of his bedroom. His long hair was piled on top of his head in a messy topknot to keep out of his way before he stepped into the bathroom where a steaming bath was waiting for him. The water had herbs floating in the water to give it an earthy scent.

Carefully sliding into the water, Salazar gave a long sigh and closed his eyes. A moment later, he heard a soft hiss before Eolas slipped into the water and moved to rest around Salazar's shoulders. The man smiled and ran a gentle finger along the snake's smooth head. _"How went the day, Eolas?" _He hissed the words softly to his familiar, his eyes still closed as the snake settled.

"_The children are up to their usual mischief," _Eolas hissed in response after a moment. _"Nothing that is too notable. Your Slytherins kept out of trouble for the most part, though there were a few incidents with bullying in the hallways from the other Houses. Gryffindors, of course. A couple of fifth years were taunting three of your first years when they became lost in the halls near the Gryffindor common room. It did not end up with the use of magic at the very least."_

Salazar frowned deeply at that. This was new. He had not heard of this. _"What were the names of the Gryffindors?" _He would have to confront them publicly. It may give courage to any of his bullied students to come forward to him. He could hope so at least for now. It would be some time before the older students trusted him, but at the same time it was his first year students that were the most vulnerable. He sighed and stroked Eolas' head again.

Eolas hissed a nonsensical sound before butting his head against Salazar's hand. _"They called each other Dorian and Jack," _he responded to the question. He filled in Salazar on several other incidents around the castle that had happened that day, but they were not important in the scheme of things. Satisfied, the snake settled his head against Salazar's shoulder and lapsed into silence with the black haired man to enjoy the heat of the bath. And once the water had cooled, Salazar left the tub to dry off and slide beneath the covers of his bed. Eolas joined him beneath the warm blankets and curled up against his wizard for sleep.

**((Page Break))**

"Ah, Master Holmes and Master Brooke. Just the two boys I was looking for," Salazar said as he strode up along the row between the House tables in the Great Hall. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor each," he said sternly then. "And a detention with me tonight after dinner. You will meet with me in my classroom to carry out your punishment."

Dorian Holmes sputtered while Jack Brooke gaped at the professor. "W…what? Why?!" Dorian demanded, about ready to jump to his feet and had even risen a bit with his hands pressed against the table. He was rewarded with another stern look from the professor that quickly had him slouched in his seat again looking chastised. Jack swallowed thickly and avoided looking at the professor.

Salazar frowned. "Yesterday evening, did you both not stop three younger students from another House to ridicule them? I will not tolerate bullying, Master Holmes…" He was cut off from whatever else he was going to say by the doors to the Great Hall slamming open. A wizard that Salazar did not recognize ran down the center aisle and to the staff table where the Headmaster had stood up faster than his age implied he could. Salazar could not hear what was being said as the wizard was whispering furiously to the Headmaster, but by the grave look that had overcome Dumbledore's face it was not good. "Detention tonight. Do not forget," he told the two students before he quickly made his way towards the staff table. He arrived just in time to hear only one sentence before Dumbledore excused himself with several of the staff following behind:

"Voldemort has attacked the Ministry of Magic!"

**((End Chapter Six))**

**And that's the end of the chapter… I hope it was worth the wait!**

**Gaelic translations are below. I apologize if any of this is wrong. I had to use an online translator and we all know how bad those can be!**

"**Tá tú a hiníon." (You are her daughter)**

"**Tá tú ceart… Cén chaoi a bhfuil a fhios agat cad Breathnaíonn mo mháthair mhaith?" (You are correct… How do you know what my mother looks like?)**

"**Tá mé amach as an am seo. Shíl mé go raibh a fhios agam do mháthair aon uair amháin. Ag am amháin bhí sí ina cara daor." (I am out of this time. I thought I knew your mother once. At one time she was a dear friend.)**

"**Uncail Sal…" (Uncle Sal…)**

**Ná húsáid an ainm sin anseo. Tá mé Eolas Evans láthair. Bain úsáid as é nó eile beidh mé ag Hogwarts ceangal do thost…Ach inis dom ... cad is ainm duit?" (Do not use that name here. I am Eolas Evans currently. Use it or else I will have Hogwarts bind your silence… But tell me… what is your name?)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright so… few notes here before I start the next chapter. Well, the translator I was using before was taken down. Well, boo. So I found another translator that should hopefully work, if not then I'll have to just use English and pretend that they're speaking Gaelic. I can use italics or something. But anywho… I have been meaning to give you all the translation of the title of the story. It always seems to escape my mind. But here we go:**

**Am Agus Cinniúint means Time and Fate. Not totally original, but I liked the translation so there.**

**So I found on the internet that someone went through a lot of time and research to come up with a map of Hogwarts and the surrounding area. I skimmed through a bit of the research this person did and it, quite frankly, blew my mind a bit. I'm going to use this map they came up with to give a more visual representation to Hogwarts and area. Go here and all the way down to the bottom of the page for the map I'm using:**

** : / / members .madasafish ~cj_whitehound/ Fanfic/ map_of_Hogwarts/grounds. htm#map**

**Just remember to remove all of the spaces! Most of it is built upon clues in the book, and some of it is added in to complete the picture. Enjoy!**

**Oh yes, disclaimer: I wish this was mine… but who am I kidding really? Of course this isn't mine. At least the characters and stuff you recognize isn't. Plot bunny was all mine!**

**Now on to the chapter! Oh, and to answer a review: Yes, Salazar is in deep, glorious denial.**

**Last Time:**

_He arrived just in time to hear only one sentence before Dumbledore excused himself with several of the staff following behind:_

_"Voldemort has attacked the Ministry of Magic!"_

**Chapter Seven**

"Professor Evans?" The woman's voice interrupted Salazar's reading. He looked up to see Granger in the doorway. "The Headmaster has returned and he's calling for a staff meeting," she told him. Salazar could see that she was worried. Her friend Weasley had gone off with Dumbledore, had he not? He wondered if the man had returned safely.

Standing to his feet, Salazar gave a nod. "Give me a moment." He banished his books and looked to the two students who were looking up at him hopefully. "Mr. Holmes and Mr. Brooke," he nodded to them. "Finish your work. This is a detention after all. I will be assigning a house elf to watch you. Once you are done with your detention, the house elf will escort you back to your dormitory," he told them sternly as he walked to the door. He immediately called a house elf and gave him orders to watch over the two students inside of the classroom that were scrubbing old cauldrons. There had been an entire closet full of them so Salazar had decided to put them to good use.

Closing the door behind him, Salazar shook his head and then gave Granger a polite smile. "Shall we, then?" He made a motion for her to lead the way and then fell into step beside her. "Do you know anything?" Salazar asked after some time as the two of them walked through the hallways to the staff room. He could see Granger's brow furrowed in worry. She gave him a surprised look at his question, but quickly shook her head though she did not say a word. "I see," Salazar said slowly before he came to a stop beside a door. "Well then, we shall find out together."

He opened the staffroom door in time to hear Snape exclaim, "By Salazar, woman, hold yourself together! Your blubbering is not helping matters!" Salazar could not help it really. He prided himself on being a master of his emotions, but he could not stop his snort. Snape rounded on him immediately with, "You think this is funny, do you?" He demanded and Salazar held up a placating hand in response.

"It is the use of Slytherin's name that amuses me. Do Gryffindors use their founder's name in such ways?" He asked this of Granger as he turned to her while he spoke. The rest of the room seemed to be watching them, but didn't appear ready to jump in on the conversation.

When asked the question, Granger gave Salazar a confused shrug in response as she spoke a simple, "some do." She closed the door behind them as she spoke.

It was then that Weasley piped up with a smug, "My favorite is 'by Godric's sweaty left nut!" Salazar was confused by the phrasing before he felt himself first go pale and then a bit green. That was certainly _not_ an image he wanted in his head! Through the inevitable of having lived with the man for so long on the road before they had established Hogwarts, he had had the unfortunate luck of having actually seen the man's genitalia in all its rather nauseating glory and it was not something he wanted to revisit.

"How horribly crude," he deadpanned after a moment as he ignored the cackling of a pair of redheaded twins that could possibly be Weasley's brothers.

The conversation could not continue as it was then that the Headmaster cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "If you would all have a seat, we will begin. Hermione and Eolas are the last to arrive and now that they are here we can start." The room and staff table had been magically expanded as there were many more individuals than usual, Salazar noted. Most looked haggard and defeated. Was this the Headmaster's Order? The news would not be good then, he mused as he took his own seat and suddenly found himself with a twin on either side of him. He ignored them in face of the small pot in front of Dumbledore. A small head had poked itself out of what looked like ash. Salazar knew it to be Fawkes, but was concerned because the phoenix had not been anywhere near a burning day.

"Took an AK for the old headmaster," the twins whispered in both his ears. Salazar ignored them, though he flexed his fingers in preparation if he needed to summon his wand. Dumbledore was about to speak anyhow.

Salazar noted that Dumbledore looked uncharacteristically grim from what he had come to expect from the old man. It was a stark contrast to his rather cheery blue robes. "The Ministry, it hurts me to say, has fallen into the hands of Voldemort," he spoke gravely and breaking Salazar from his thoughts. "As of today, the only safe place left in the British Isles is Hogwarts herself." The room remained silent. The Order would have already known this news and no one else felt like they could break the silence. "As such," the Headmaster continued, "Hogwarts' doors will be opened to refugees. However, we need to ensure that this will not make us vulnerable to attack."

With a frown, Salazar leaned forward. "I suggest that there are adjustments to the wards to keep out any that carry the Dark Mark, excepting those that are personally keyed into them," he brought forward. "Use the gates for the only entrance through the wards by invitation. It is also possible to use a singular warded room for emergency magical transportation."

"It could be done if you wanted me to look at the wards, Professor," another redhead spoke up. He was obviously another Weasley if that hair was any indication. He had never seen a colour that vibrant anywhere else here in this time. Just how many of them were there? "With as old as the wards likely are, it would be good to have them checked over anyways," the Weasley continued with a wave of his hand.

The twins beside him whispered in his ear again. "That's our dear old brother William, nickname Bill. He's the eldest and a cursebreaker for Gringott's. Usually works in Egypt, he does, but home for the war."

After shooting the twins a look, he turned his attention back to the Headmaster. "I would be happy to help as well, sir. Potions and wards have a rather surprising connection, so I know a thing or two." He had helped to create the wards for Hogwarts too after all. He would know what should belong and what needed to be repaired.

The Headmaster appeared to mull it over, but the youngest Weasley male piped up angrily with, "No! No way! He'll probably destroy them instead and then we really will be bloody screwed! I don't trust him, the slimy Slytherin!"

Salazar gave the younger man a too polite smile. "Is your only grievance with me the fact that I am the Head of Slytherin House? You do not know a single thing about me, Ronald Weasley, and yet you make these accusations against me. I have had enough. If Hogwarts is to be a refuge, then we must be able to work together and I cannot do that if you are fighting me at every turn." He took his wand and placed it on the table in front of him. "In defense of my honour and the Honour of my House, I challenge you."

Ronald sneered. "Well fine. Let's duel then."

Salazar grimaced at the lack of etiquette, but before he could respond two more wands were placed down on the either side of him and, much to his surprise, and the twins gave identical grins as they proclaimed, "To ensure the challenged honour is not tarnished, we name ourselves Champions. So mote it be." Salazar echoed the last words, too surprised to do much else. No one named themselves as Ronald's seconds, so the man was forced to ask Granger, who gave a sigh and reluctantly agreed.

Dumbledore hastily brought the meeting back to order. He agreed to let William and Salazar work together on the wards. Salazar was under the impression that it was because William would be there to keep an eye on him and there was really no other option given the strop that they were in. The wards needed to be done to ensure their safety. The Headmaster then gave instructions to the members of the Order to help prepare the empty corridors to house refugee families without interfering with classes. Others were instructed to work out security measures for anything that might happen. Salazar made a note to bring it up with William, to see what they could do with the wards. He had to take a look at them though to see what had changed over the years.

When they were dismissed, Salazar stood up. "Ronald Weasley. I will see you tomorrow morning at seven sharp," he said before turning on his heel. "William, I will see you after I have taken care of your brother," he remarked to the man in passing and then headed for the door. The twins followed after him, so Salazar led the way to his quarters.

Once the door was shut behind them, the twins made themselves comfortable on his couch before giving him identical grins. "I do not suppose I actually have to ask you my questions do I?" He said as he sunk down into his own chair. He watched as the two exchanged looks before one pulled out a piece of old folded parchment.

"I'm Frederick and that's George. But do call me Fred, yeah? Anyways, Harry Potter was the friend of our brother Ron once upon a time before he went missing. He was attacked by Voldemort and just seemed to poof into thin air. His relatives' house was destroyed, though his trunk managed to survive with it being magical and all. This was among his belongings and we're the ones who gave it to him, so we took it back for safe keeping. It's called the Marauder's Map and it's quite useful." Salazar didn't like the look of that smile.

Frederick opened up the parchment and tapped it with his wand while saying, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He said it proudly, but Salazar was more concerned about the ink that was slowly revealed on the parchment. Marauder's Map certainly gave it away. It was a map of the school, though it was incomplete. Perhaps the mapmakers had not known about some passageways or rooms. But as he watched, the most concerning thing were the names written beneath each of the markers for every individual currently residing in Hogwarts castle. There was no question why they were showing this to him. Clearly stated in his room were three names. Frederick Fabian Weasley sat next to George Gideon Weasley and the two were across from Salazar Slytherin. The name flickered in a rather unsure manner unlike the other names on the Map, but Salazar ignored it for the time being.

Quickly looking up, Salazar waved his wand to lock the door. He tucked the wand away then, not wanting to appear threatening. This was a rather delicate situation after all. "Have you shown this to anyone?" He asked them sharply and they both chuckled before they shook their heads. Salazar gave them a rather flabbergasted look, though he managed to reel in most of his surprise. "I know how history portrays me. And yet you defend my honour," he spoke slowly referring to earlier in the staffroom, not understanding. "You know who I am… Your brother is a Gryffindor and I have a feeling that the two of you were in that House as well. So why?"

The two exchanged amused looks before sobering up. "We were supposed to be sorted into Slytherin," they told him. "Our parents are strong Gryffindors and our three older brothers were in Gryffindor. So we managed to convince the hat to sort us into Gryffindor instead." Salazar noted he was going to need to have a long talk with that stupid hat. He motioned for the two to continue. "We made friends with some Slytherins behind the scenes, but ultimately had to act like Gryffindors. Sort of, but anyways…" The two exchanged looks again. "We've been in the castle before since you arrived, though we've never actually met you until now. We have the map, so we help out with security in secret since we don't actually want to let anyone know we have the map. Ron knew about it, but we don't want him to know we have it back. Good thing too."

They looked back to him and gave him grins again. "When we saw your name, we knew we had to meet you. And let us just say that you are absolutely nothing and everything like we expected!"

Salazar looked amused as his eyes darted between the two. "You both should know that the greatest Slytherin is one who can hide that from others. A Slytherin is ambition and cunning, one who knows how to survive. It is one who knows how to fight and when to step away from a fight." He chuckled then. "It is knowing how to never reveal your true self and knowing who to trust." He looked the two over. "I have taught my Slytherins that the only ones they can trust are themselves. We have to be a family because no one else will accept us. We have to be ambitious because how else will we get anywhere? You say you have friends who were Slytherins? You know how broken many of them are. They will grow to be driven to people like this Voldemort because as children they were never given the right path. They will raise children who are like themselves and the cycle will continue. I am here now… and I have to stop the cycle."

"You know… We wondered why you seemed to disappear from history. You're never mentioned again after you were exiled from Hogwarts. You were brought here," Frederick observed. Salazar only gave a nod. "What happened exactly? We want to hear your story, not the one passed down through history. It's obviously wrong."

Salazar looked between the twins seriously for a long moment. He then gave a slow nod. "Before I continue, I want you to give me both an Oath that you will not tell anyone who I really am," he told them sternly. There was something about the two of them that called to him. They had a playful air… but at the same time, he felt surprisingly comfortable. It had been like with Granger, but yet different. "And I want you both to swear that everything you said to me was the truth."

"Sir, yes sir!" The twins saluted him but Salazar only raised an eyebrow. The two laughed before pulling out their wands and sobering up. "We swear on our magic that we spoke the truth to one Salazar Slytherin and we promise that we will not reveal him to anyone else excepting his permission." There was a swirl of magic and their expressions once again became more animated.

Salazar hissed softly and Eolas appeared moments later. The snake draped himself across Salazar's shoulder and hissed softly in the man's ear. Salazar hummed thoughtfully before he looked over to the twins. "I had an adopted brother. Cayden Slytherin. He was a mundane born who had been hurt by his parents because of his abilities. Many of my students were abused or abandoned. I did not hate mundane born… I hated the mundanes who abandoned such precious children, but Cayden took the hate a step further. I still do not know what went wrong… but he started to gather followers. We knew mundanes were being hunted, but I had not realized at first that it was Cayden." The thought of his brother still hurt.

"When the others ordered me from Hogwarts… it was because they decided that they no longer wanted the dark arts taught. But instead of requesting me to stop, they exiled me. I left immediately and went to confront Cayden." He stroked Eolas' head in a calming motion. "We dueled and I defeated him. There was much residual magic in the clearing and, by the will of magic, I was sent here to the future." It was straight to the point. "I never sired a child, to my knowledge, but it is likely that Cayden did. It is from this line that Voldemort was likely born. I do not recognize Voldemort as an Heir." He smirked then and scratched underneath Eolas' head. "On top of that, I have disowned Voldemort from the line of Slytherin as I am the Head of the family. He is no longer magically associated to the line and so no longer has the ability to use the Slytherin family ability."

The twins stared for a moment before cracking up. "Oh, yes! That is perfect!" The two crowed as they doubled over each other in laughter. "We would have paid to see old Voldy's face when he realized he couldn't talk to his dear pet anymore!" Salazar watched them in amusement. There was just something likeable about the two redheads. He would still closely guard his heart and his secrets, but he could see himself getting along with them in the very least. "It might have been why he upped his game though. He tends to be a bit rash when he gets angry. Nasty temper on him," the twins commented as they finally seemed to calm down a bit.

Salazar gave a small chuckle in response and sipped at his tea. "I do not suppose I shall need your help for the morning duel against your younger brother," he commented lightly as he changed the subject. "But this will not cause any grievance between your family, will it? You have pledged to defend the Honour of Slytherin House. That is quite a large statement to make."

The room was quiet for a moment before the twins exchanged looks and then turned their serious gazes on Salazar. "It might. But with you here, we don't care because if anyone can rebuild the glory of Slytherin House it is you, Salazar. We believe in that and think it's about time we let our real loyalties be recognized. The larger problem is more than just Voldemort, isn't it?" Salazar only gave a small nod. "The Balance of Power. Not many believe it anymore, you know. Some of the Purebloods might, but they've been blinded by what Voldemort used to be all about. It's not taught and we're in a pretty precarious position."

"I have started to teach my Snakes," Salazar said as he set his cup aside. "On Samhainn, I hope to hold a private ritual for them in the House lecture hall. You both are, of course, welcome to attend." The twins accepted graciously, if enthusiastically. "What are your affinities?" He asked them then. "If you are willing, I would like to make use of your knowledge and abilities. Magical twins such as you are extremely rare."

The two hummed softly and gave Salazar mirroring grins. "You're the first to ever make mention of that, you know. Most think we're just a bit crazy. We're Neutral with a leaning towards Dark."

Salazar let himself laugh. "Yes, I can see the chaos in you both. I did not want to assume, but it is a breath of fresh air after being surrounded by so many light alignments. The children's alignments still do not count because they are constantly fluctuating as they grow into their magic."

"You're sensitive to the magic, aren't you? You can tell how others are aligned, but you can hide your own alignment. Or did history get it wrong and you're not a Dark wizard?" The twins asked him eagerly, actually leaning forward in their seats.

Snorting softly, Salazar gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "I am not that sensitive, though I have had some teaching in the art of it. And I am a Dark wizard, though I have some leaning towards Neutral that gives me the ability to use some Light magic without the usual difficulties." He was silent for a long moment with a pensive expression and then he turned to the two. "You know who I am… so I have something to confess to you. There is something that bothers me." He ran his fingers along Eolas' scales. "How learned are you both in the subject of magical residue?"

The twins shrugged. "Not much. It's rather theoretical at best, though the idea is sound. We use some concepts in our inventing, but it's hard to really understand how different magic will react especially given how vast the knowledge base of magic is. Residue from similar spells will still react vastly different than one might expect."

"Yes, that is true. So you do you think it would be possible for memories to be stored? We know magic can be stored inside of crystals and other objects. It is the whole idea of enchanting an object for whatever use you might need, whether it is cursing, transfiguration, or any other such need. Hogwarts herself hums with the built up energy of years of magical residue. So would it be possible for memories to act the same way, to be imprinted in objects to be released with the right triggers?" Salazar said as he focused on Eolas, who was hissing happily from the attention. "Triggers such as blood relation."

There was silence for a moment as the twins looked at each other, quietly communicating. Finally, they shrugged and looked over to Salazar. "We suppose the idea has some merit. After all, there are Pensieves. However, that requires specific runework."

He had been afraid of that. "How then would it be possible to see what appears to be memories of what could not have happened?" Salazar looked up at them. "I remember creating Hogwarts. We built on to the original castle. I added my Chamber. However… I have seen memories. Memories that took place in the distinctive halls of Hogwarts which could not have happened while I was there in my own time. I would have remembered such things." It had been eating at him lately and he had had no one to discuss it with before now. But the twins had taken an oath not to reveal him, so he felt secure enough to use them for help. "I woke up in a burned village with no memories but my name. This language was my native tongue and Gryffindor had to teach me to speak his as he was the one who found me."

With an agitated sigh, Salazar's brow furrowed. "I roamed the land with Gryffindor for several years before we built Hogwarts with Rowena and Helga. For ten years…" He trailed off and shook his head. "But now I am here, in this new time and there have been things I have experienced that I cannot make sense of." He looked up at the twins, who exchanged looks once again as they silently communicated with each other.

The two leaned forward then. "Do you suppose… that you are originally from another time, more recent to here, and your name is not truly Salazar Slytherin? It could explain the faded appearance of your name on the Map. You recognize it as your name and nothing else, but it wasn't yours originally. Salazar Slytherin is a well-known name in this time; you could have known it and took it as your own as they only thing you remembered upon waking in a strange world. You say you don't remember your childhood… did you ever find family? You probably searched for them, right?"

Salazar gave a tight look as he stood up. "No. I never found any. There were families who looked for lost children, but they were never the right age nor did I not look like their missing children. I never found anyone with the last name of Slytherin. I was the only and could claim Head of Family, recognized by magic herself." He ignored the look the twins again shared. "I am Salazar Slytherin! Who else could I be?" He did not want to believe it, though he couldn't ignore the truth of the statement. What if they were right? What if he was originally someone else? He had time traveled once by the will of magic… could it have happened before?

Giving an angry hiss, Salazar then straightened his shoulders. "I do not wish to think about this right now. I have a duel to think about in the morning and research to do on the wards." He looked over to Frederick and George. "Do you two know where the ward runestone is?" At their nod, he turned away. "Excellent. I can say that you told me. Now get out, I have things to do." His voice was icy and controlled. The twins did not dare to argue and bid Salazar goodnight before they left.

Salazar took a calming breath from where he stood in the middle of the room. He was not Harry Potter. He was Salazar Slytherin and there must be some other explanation as to why he was seeing the things he was. Harry Potter was his descendent and his Heir. There was no other possible answer and that was final. Why had he even brought it up in the first place?

The man stalked over to a bookshelf to remove books and scrolls on wards. He had to refresh his memory before he worked with William on the Hogwarts wards. Salazar ended up studying his material long into the night before he finally retired to bed to sleep, though he was up early the next morning much to his displeasure. Woe to the Weasley brat. He was not going to get off lightly, Salazar vowed testily as he bathed and dressed in his finest dueling robes made of black dragonhide.

After he carefully tied his hair back, Salazar summoned a house elf for a light breakfast. Once he finished, he strode purposefully towards the entrance hall doors. He pushed them open and made his way out onto the lawn. The fresh air eased some of his irritability, but it quickly returned when a crowd gathered to watch the duel but Ronald Weasley did not. It was ten minutes past seven by the time that the man finally joined him in the dueling circle he had set up. The twins had been the first to appear after him, so they had helped him to set up some wards that would protect the bystanders against stray spells. It was a good thing they did as many of the professors and Order showed up. He could see students as well, obviously wondering what was going on.

"You are late," Salazar said with narrowed eyes, not happy about having been kept waiting. His ire only increased when the Weasley brat shrugged his shoulders.

"You shouldn't have picked such a bloody horrible time to have a duel then. Not my fault as it's so bloody early," the redhead spoke, not looking concerned at all. "So let's get this over with then. I didn't even have time for breakfast, you know! Bloody git." He brandished his wand as he finished speaking.

Salazar's lips curled in a disgusted sneer. He took a few steps back and flicked his wrist so his wand slid into his hand. "I have challenged you to defend the honour of my person and the honour of my House. Shall I win, tradition dictates that you, Ronald Weasley, apologize for every remark you have made against me and against my House. Should I lose, and my Champions fail, then I am dishonoured." Much rode on this duel, more than Ronald likely realized. However, Salazar was not overtly worried. In the unlikelihood that he lost, both twins were allowed to duel at once given their nature as magical twins. Even he would have difficulties against them and he had been renowned as one of the best duelers of their age, on par with Gryffindor.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get this over with," Ronald said and then threw a stunner. Salazar flicked it away with a wordless spell. "Expelliarmus," was the next spell cast, but Salazar flicked it away as well. They were weak spells.

With a sigh, Salazar made a slashing motion while softly intoning, "Armáil.' (Disarm)

"Protego!" The hasty shield was thrown up by Ronald. Salazar's spell impacted and was stopped but the power caused the shield to burst. Salazar's second spell, cast rapidly after the first and silently, slammed into Ronald's chest. It threw him back, but at least the man had the presence of mind to cast a cushioning charm then roll out of the way of the next spell sent his way. He retaliated with a bludgeoning curse, but Salazar easily danced out of the way.

Ronald was rather adequate at defense, Salazar decided. His shield spells were powerful enough to give him time to roll out of the way and he was somewhat agile. But once he had a feel for the man's movements, Salazar cast several Neutral spells and soon had Ronald incapacitated with ropes. With the man's wand in hand, he looked over to Granger. "You are his second," he said unconcernedly. She would be a bit more of a challenge, but he was not surprised when she held her wand out to him.

Granger offered a weak smile. "I forfeit and recognize that we were in the wrong."

Salazar summoned the wand and then gave Granger a nod. "I will give you your wands back once he has apologized," he accepted before releasing Ronald from his restraints with a twirl of his wand.

Immediately, Ronald was on his feet and rounding on Granger. "What the bloody hell, Hermione!" He looked ready to gear up into a meltdown or a tantrum. Granger beat him to it, much to Salazar's surprise and amusement.

"Ronald Weasley!" The woman's voice was rather shrill and had quite a few onlookers cringing. "What has gotten into you?" Her flyaway hair seemed to stand more on end as she placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Ever since Professor Evans got here, you have been nothing but spiteful and… and rude! I thought you were over such immature schoolboy behavior!" She pointed a finger at him and jabbed it into his chest. "Professor Evans was a bit standoffish in the beginning, but what has he ever done to you, hm? You should know that not every Slytherin is an evil… an evil _git_ like most Death Eaters! Maybe Slytherins are always ever alone with other Slytherins because of people like _you_ who won't even give them the benefit of the doubt! I will have you know that Professor Evans is a very intelligent man and can be rather enjoyable to converse with! I might even call him a friend!"

Well, let it not be said that Gryffindors were not trusting or made friends quickly. He could not say the same for himself, but it rather benefited him in the end to have a woman like Granger decide he was worthy of trust. And it was worth it if only to see the rather amusing look that emerged in Ronald's expression. He looked constipated, Salazar decided. "Now apologize, you daft imbecile!" Granger's next words nearly made him crack a smile. It was always amusing to see a normally composed individual lose their temper. Granger was no exception.

"God, woman…" Ronald muttered and then turned to Salazar. "I'm sorry, alright? I, uh… take back everything I said about you or your House," he tried to speak formally, but floundered a bit. Considering how many children there seemed to be in the Weasley family, Salazar was not surprised that the man's manners were a bit lacking. No offense to the parents, of course, but with that many children a few things were bound to be unintentionally passed over. Manners were usually the first to be missed, as he had seen through personal experience with some children.

Salazar offered the two wands to their owners. "I accept your apology under the condition that you refrain from such comments in the future. Next time I shall not be so kind." Once the two had their wands back, Salazar dispelled the ward around them with help from the twins. "I recommend you form your own opinion, Ronald Weasley, not follow the prejudiced views of others. Have you ever tried to get along with Slytherins, or do you pick on innocent children until they have no choice but to retaliate? Think about it." He stepped out of the circle. "And think about what sort of life they must lead. You have loving parents, do you not? Do they ever try to tell you what you should believe?"

The man did not stop to see or hear Ronald's response. As he strode back towards the castle with his robes fluttering dramatically around him, the twins came to flank his sides. "He's a good man, our brother. He's had to mature during a war after all. But he inherited out mother's temper and pigheadedness. As the youngest boy, he tends to be forgotten. Charlie is a dragon tamper. Bill is a cursebreaker. Percy worked in the Ministry as soon as he graduated. All upstanding examples of success. It's a lot to compete against. But he'll come around. He has Hermione to bring him some rationality." The twins said as they pulled open the doors to the castle.

Salazar immediately headed down a side corridor. "I have dealt with his type before. He will come to sense eventually, but it will not be without a few confrontations first. He will only become tolerable at best, however. He does not like to be proved wrong."

Before the twins had time to agree or disagree, Salazar was forcefully knocked into Fred by someone who had just stepped out from behind a tapestry shortcut. The redhead steadied Salazar as the man who crashed into Salazar snarled. "Watch where you are walking, Evans."

"Sirius, wait! I'm so sorry, Evans. He's in a foul mood. Sirius, wait up you infernal man!" Lupin barely stopped to apologize before he was running off after Black again.

Salazar straightened his robes once they were in the corridor alone again. "Harry Potter was his godson," the twins said quietly. "And you happen to look enough like him that we think it's bringing back memories for him." The both looked to Salazar. "After Harry disappeared, he became bitter. Hunted him forever, but never found a trace of what happened to him."

"I am not Harry Potter… though I believe him to be descended from me," Salazar admitted quietly. "I was wrong before and I may have fathered a child I never knew about. As Head of my Family, I have certain rights and powers over those of my blood. Voldemort is a great something nephew I am sure of it, but I still have power over him to a degree." He kept his voice quiet, a small privacy bubble erected around them just in case. "There is a possibility of Harry Potter carrying familial traits. Was he a Parselmouth?"

He only received a nod in confirmation before he started off back down the corridor again and missed the look that the twins shared. When he came to what appeared to be a door to a broom cupboard, he tapped on it with his wand three times. It opened to reveal a large room where William and the Headmaster already stood. "Ah, excellent. Mr. Weasley, Professor Evans… I shall leave you to it then. Have a house elf get me if you need anything. Mr. and Mr. Weasley, if you would come with me, we shall leave these two to their work!" Dumbledore spoke cheerfully as he headed towards the door.

The twins grinned and gave Salazar identical salutes before they followed after Dumbledore who closed the door behind them. "You can trust Bill," they had whispered to him before they left his side.

Salazar shook his head and strode over to the center of the chamber where a large crystal was imbedded in the floor. There was a runic circle carved into the stones surrounding the crystal and glowed with a silver light. The crystal itself pulsed with energy. "We shall have to check the cardinal stones as well on the grounds," he remarked to William who had crouched down. He bent down as well to take a closer look at the ward stone, but then he turned his gaze to William. "Your brothers, Frederick and George, say that I can trust you. But I want a vow from you that you will not reveal a particular ability that I have."

The two men straightened and William gave a frown. "I'm sorry… but what?" He had his wand in his hand, but didn't move to raise it. He didn't look particularly tense, but there was a wary look in his eyes. "Why should I make a vow? And how does this have anything to do with working on the wards?"

With a chuckle, Salazar straightened his robes. "I have reason to believe that my ability will help us take a more in depth look at the wards. I want them strengthened just as much as you do. The lives of many families and children depend upon it. I also need your full cooperation to strengthen the wards, especially for the runic circles as I hear you are a cursebreaker. I want a vow… because I do not want knowledge of my ability to get out. As Head of Slytherin, my status here is already shaky at best and I do not want anyone to misinterpret my ability."

"Why should I trust you?" William asked then with another frown. He still had not put away his wand, but it was also still at a resting position. "Will you give me your word that you do not wish to harm Hogwarts or anyone in her if I agree to your vow?" He asked in return, which pleased Salazar. It would possibly gain him more trust to solidify his position in Hogwarts. It would work well for him to have another wizard on his side. And the twins did seem to trust the man, so perhaps it could work out in other ways as well.

Pulling out his wand, Salazar inclined his head. "I swear that my only goal is to protect the safety of Hogwarts and her students. I intend no ill will and I only wish to bring her back to her full glory," he promised solemnly to which William relaxed somewhat and gave his own vow in return to keep Salazar's ability secret. The founder smirked then. "I am from a family branch of Slytherin," he lied smoothly. "Quite a bit removed, but I was fortunate enough to receive the ability to speak Parseltongue. It is not something I exercise often, however I think it will be useful in this case. Salazar Slytherin was one of the founders, so he likely worked on the original wards. That said, it is also possible that he used his Parseltongue ability to create specialized ones. With my own ability, I will be able to strengthen them like no one likely has been able to do since Hogwarts' creation." William seemed to be at a loss for words, Salazar realized in amusement.

"That is… utterly fascinating!" William finally stated. "I would absolutely love to see how it works!" He said as he waved his wand. The ward stone hummed and then a web of runes was projected into the air above the crystal. "I was looking at the stone before you came in and I noticed a degrading layer of runes, but I couldn't make sense of them. Many of the other runes seemed to have been updated since their original creation, but this level hasn't been." He used his wand to bring forth the level that he had been talking about. The runes in the web pulsed weakly, looking duller than the other ones in the rest of the web.

Stepping forward so he could get a better look, Salazar nodded. "I thought so. They are parsel runes," he informed William who only looked more excited. The man then pulled out a large leather bound journal and set about copying down the characters. Salazar helped him as parsel runes were trickier than the mixture of Ogham and Futhark runes that made up the rest of the ward web. The parsel would need to be studied extensively to figure out which weak spots needed to be strengthened. Once the runes were copied down, Salazar used a spell to copy William's notes onto some parchment he summoned. "I will translate these tonight and get them to you tomorrow so we can go over what changes need to be made." He tucked the parchment into his robes and then used his wand to bring another layer of the web forward. New layers had been added on over the years.

Frowning, Salazar looked over the web. "I suggest we ask the Headmaster if there is any material left by previous Headmasters that may detail what changes to the wards have happened over the years." He looked over to William. "Some of the layers are newer than others and I do not want to make any changes until we know for sure where everything has been weaved together."

William nodded his head in agreement. "We're also going to want to know everything that the wards are supposed to do. I don't particularly want to set off anything by poking needlessly at it. I'll go ask Dumbledore about it if you want to start copying down some of the other layers. I'll be back to help you copy them down in a bit." He handed over the journal that he had been writing in before he left to go up to the Headmaster's office. He figured it would be easier than trying to get a house elf to relay the message since the documents, if they existed, would likely be there anyways. He had a feeling that Dumbledore would want to know his thoughts on the potions professor anyways.

Once he was alone, Salazar opened the journal to a new page and started to painstakingly take down the rune web. He was sure that he and the other founders had taken a record of what would be written into the ward web when they created it, but the records were now likely lost to history if the Headmaster did not have them. He was not very optimistic of it. So he made sure to copy everything. He made notes of what appeared to be newer and which strands seemed to be deteriorating. It was painstaking work and William eventually returned to help him take down the runes. He had come back empty handed, but Salazar had not really been expecting much.

"You were gone for some time," he observed after a while as he rotated the projection. "He asked about me, did he not?" He glanced up to see William's face turn into a rather sheepish expression.

The man nodded and wrote down a few more runes before he replied. "I will be frank. He did ask about you. But it was mostly about how we got along and what I thought of you," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I told him that you seem the type to play things close to the chest, but I do not sense any ill will from you. I told him that I truly believe that you want to protect the school and its students. I think I will enjoy working with you, and I told him that." William gave him a smile and then focused back on their work of copying the runes. Salazar was not quite sure how to respond, though he gave the man quiet thanks before they both silently kept on working.

They were interrupted around midday by a house elf that brought them lunch on Dumbledore's orders. As they ate the light meal of soup and sandwiches, the two men discussed the rune patterns that they had already had a chance to work out. "I started on the oldest layer, the parsel runes aside," Salazar said after he had swallowed a sip of his soup. "They had deteriorated the worst, but I do not think we will be able to reinforce them until I have translated the parsel runes that are entwined with the layer." He waved his spoon a bit. "Some of the newer layers we can reinforce. It should be enough to keep out any surprise attacks until we finish with the rest of the wards."

William swallowed a large bite of his sandwich before he replied with a nod. "I agree on that. We'll have to translate all of the older layers before we can do any work on them, but I think the newer ones are simple enough that they'll be easy enough to work with. They don't interconnect with the older layers enough to cause any problems. We should be able to strengthen them tomorrow and then get to work on translating the rest of the layers to understand what we need to do with them next. While we've been copying them, I'm sure you noticed that the newer layers seemed to have just been added on top. Makes it a bit easier, but we really need to get the older layers figured out." He seemed to be musing out loud.

With a chuckle, Salazar stood up. "We need to take a look at the cardinal stones around the castle grounds before we do anything else. I suggest we make sure they are in complete working order and then we can come back to finish copying the rune web." William gave a nod of agreement and stood up after stuffing the rest of his sandwich into his mouth. Salazar gave him an unimpressed look before he turned on his heel and led the way out the door. Once it was closed behind him, he motioned for William to lead the way. "I assume that the Headmaster gave you the locations for the cardinal stones?" He could not let William know he knew where they were after all.

The redhead gave Salazar a rather mischievous grin that reminded him of the twins. "You up for a bit of walking, Evans? The North stone is near the boundary wall on a mound. The East stone is at a point along the carriage track from the train station for the Express. The South stone is along the boundary wall near Hogsmeade and the West stone is nearby a paddock that Hagrid uses along the edge of the Forbidden Forest." Oh, Salazar knew there would be a bit of walking, but he grimaced at William in response. The redheaded man only laughed.

As they headed first towards the North stone, William took it upon himself to regale Salazar with tales of his time in Egypt. The founder had to admit that it was rather interesting to hear about the tombs that William had worked on, ancient even during the time he had helped to build Hogwarts. Some of the curses seemed rather interesting as well and it intrigued Salazar enough to make a note to look up more information on them later when he was not so consumed by more pressing problems. Perhaps William had a few scrolls or books that he was willing to part with for a time.

When they reached the mound that contained the North stone, Salazar could feel the pulse of energy that it gave off. It seemed to be working then, but they would know for sure after a closer inspection. He climbed the mound to where a small scattering of trees grew. They were very old trees, but yet still very slender and appearing ageless. He remembered these trees… Salazar assumed it was the power of the North stone that kept them suspended in time. Stopping outside the ring of trees, Salazar pulled out his wand. "I suppose it is like the door to the ward stone?" At the answering nod, he tapped the trunk of a tree three times. He then passed through an invisible barrier to find what looked like an altar with a smaller version of the ward stone imbedded in the stone of the altar with the same etched runic circle. This crystal however glowed green in colour.

Coming in closer, Salazar inspected it carefully. With a tap of his wand, the rune web rose above it and Salazar carefully rotated through the layers before he nodded in satisfaction. "Do you have a knife with you?" He asked William, who appeared as he dug into his robes to pull out a small knife. "Good. The runes here and here," he pointed to them on the stone as he spoke, "need to be carved deeper into the stone. Time has worn these ones away, but the rest seem to be in excellent condition. We do not have to worry about the North stone." William came forward to do his own observations, but he ended up in agreement so he carefully carved out the runes. There was a strong pulse from the crystal and it started to shine brighter.

Both pleased, the two wizards started the trek to the East stone. The East stone was just off of the carriage tracks in a small protected grove of trees on a similar altar as the North stone. This stone glowed with yellow energy and needed similar attention as the North stone. With little to do, they were soon able to move on to the South stone. This crystal was the better preserved of the three they had inspected, hidden in a small alcove along the boundary wall. This stone pulsed with red energy and only needed a single rune strengthened as a precaution. They moved on quickly to make the trek to the last crystal.

The sun was starting to dip down by the time they made it to the West stone altar. Immediately, Salazar started to curse colourfully in parseltongue. The stone, which should have been aglow with blue energy, lay in pieces and the area felt dead as opposed to the other altars where the surrounding areas had been alive with energy. "This is deliberate spellwork!" He announced unnecessarily as he tugged on his braid in an anxious motion. "The wards themselves are powerful enough to withstand attack for a time, but without every single cardinal stone entirely functional they will fail given enough time! Too little time!" He turned to William. "He planned it. He had to have. This Voldemort... whether he destroyed it or had one of his little minions do it, he caused this destruction!" The spellwork was recent, give or take a few years. Hogwarts was important in many ways, Voldemort would have known this. It agitated Salazar to know that the man had destroyed one of the things he had worked so hard to build and he would be damned if the man completely destroyed _his_ school!

Salazar took a calming breath. "We will need to repair this," he said grimly as he sheathed his wand. "Come… we need to discuss this with the headmaster." He left the clearing with a quick stride leaving William to hurry after him. The two wizards made their way quickly towards the castle, both quiet and in their own thoughts.

Once they arrived at the Great Hall, Salazar pushed open the doors and strode up to the staff table where Dumbledore was eating his evening meal. The students whispered at Salazar and William's appearance, but both ignored them as Salazar requested an urgent audience with the Headmaster in his office. Dumbledore agreed, worried by the grim expressions that both men wore. It was only once they were in Dumbledore's office that Salazar became more visibly agitated. He thought it would suit his image better in the eye of the Headmaster. Besides, the repair of the crystal was an absolute priority. Refusing a seat, he launched into an explanation and a description of the West stone. By the time he was finished, Dumbledore looked extremely grim as well though not entirely surprised. "Tom was always intelligent and thinking ahead. It is sad the path he started down… What do you propose?"

Salazar grimaced and looked over to William. The redhead sighed and took over for the moment. "The crystal itself needs to be replaced. There is no way to salvage what is left. Even if there was a large enough chunk… it is still safer to use a completely new crystal. So since it is the West stone, we need to find a crystal associated with water. The best time to replace the stone would be to do it during the autumn at sunset on the day of a waning moon. It is the most ideal time and it would need to have the runic web transferred to it during a ritual."

With a nod, Salazar ran his hand over his braid. "We are lucky that the Equinox is upon us near the end of the month." He was thoughtful for a moment before he looked quickly to William. "The Equinox takes place during a waning moon. It would be the strongest time to replace the West stone. We will need time to find a proper crystal and prepare the ritual, but it should be possible. In this regard… we are extremely lucky." He turned back towards the Headmaster. "I would suggest using raw Selenite, unpolished. That may be the hardest to obtain as we will need a sizeable chunk. Everything else we should be able to obtain easily enough."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers in front of him, his expression somber. Finally, he gave a nod and leaned back in his chair. Baby Fawkes crooned pitifully from a little pot on the old man's desk. "I will worry about finding the selenite," he told them. "Have the rest of the ritual prepared quietly. Let us keep this amongst ourselves for the time being," he told them. "Everyone is worried enough without this being put on their shoulders. You say the wards should hold for now at least?" He was given an affirmative, so Dumbledore dismissed them so he could compose a few letters.

With the dismissal, Salazar and William left the office to head back down to the ward stone. They needed to finish copying the rune web so they could fix the ward stone as well as correctly integrate the new West stone. Neither of them remembered dinner as they dove back into the copying, working well into the night to finish. They parted quietly with copies of each other's notes to their own chambers, but neither slept much that night.

Salazar worked to translate his parsel runes while William translated the other rune webs. The next morning, both low on sleep, they met up in the library to compare notes. They had found a quiet nook of the library and had their notes spread out around them with numerous books by the time a small number of students trickled through to finish procrastinated homework. A house elf had brought them breakfast at some point, but it was largely ignored. The same happened with lunch. No one dared to interrupt them.

By the time that dinner rolled around, they had finally managed to map out the entirety of the rune web. That was only the first step. Now they knew where different layers where entwined and could be easily fixed. They would be able to add their own layers as well to combine everything together and make it more stable. Their problem was that the West stone needed to be replaced first before they could make any changes at all. Their earlier plan of updating the newer wards was put on hold as the missing cardinal stone would make the whole web too unstable to attempt any changes. It would survive in its current state for now, but any prolonged attack would destroy it. That said, it would be a nerve wracking waiting game. If they could not get the selenite in time, they would have to wait for the next waning moon and the ward update would need to be pushed back even further. Who knew when Voldemort may decide to attack? The wards needed to be strengthened as soon as possible.

Salazar dropped his quill and sighed. "I have classes tomorrow that I need to prepare for," he murmured tiredly. He really needed a good night of sleep as well. "I have a class for each block period," he told William. "As soon as my last class lets out, I can meet you back here to help piece together the proper ritual we will need to do to replace the West stone." He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. He stood up then and started to gather his copy of the notes they had made. He would likely go over them again at some point, but he really did need to prepare for his upcoming classes the next day. "I shall take my leave then, Mr. Weasley." He gave a polite nod to the man before exiting the library with his books in hand.

**((End Chapter Seven))**

**So there we go. Chapter seven. So yeah… I like the Weasley twins so I thought I would add them in. Deal with it. I thought it would also make a nice connection to Harry and his love for the Weasley family. And yes, I am well aware that in canon Fred's name is just Fred and it's not Frederick. I'm changing it for my own purposes so, again… deal with it. The Weasleys from now on will probably be referred to all the time by their first names as calling all of them by Weasley would just get confusing. But I think you all probably realized that.**

**With that said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and make sure you review! I love reading them! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I love you guys!**

**And one last thing… Salazar is in deep, wonderful, glorious denial. He's finding every excuse not to believe what is right in front of his face. He's not ready to accept it yet. Should I say deal with it again?**


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